Nagasaki marked the 79th anniversary of its atomic bombing on Friday, but the absence of the American ambassador and other Western diplomats overshadowed the ceremony. Their decision to skip the event came after the Japanese city excluded Israel from the invitations.
The atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki by the United States on August 9, 1945, killed 70,000 people, just three days after the bombing of Hiroshima, which claimed 140,000 lives. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, ending World War II and its nearly 50 years of aggression in Asia.
During the ceremony at Nagasaki Peace Park, Mayor Shiro Suzuki urged countries with nuclear weapons, including those under nuclear protection like Japan, to work towards eliminating them. "You must recognise that the existence of nuclear weapons is a growing threat to humanity, and take bold steps towards their abolition," Suzuki said.
He also warned that the world is facing a "critical situation" due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and escalating conflicts in the Middle East.
At Friday's ceremony, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reaffirmed his commitment to a nuclear-free world, something that many survivors of the atomic bombings, known as hibakusha, criticise as an empty promise since Japan relies on the US nuclear umbrella while expanding its own military.
At 11:02 am, the exact moment the bomb exploded over Nagasaki, attendees observed a moment of silence as a peace bell rang.
US, Canada, EU, France Skip Event
Over 2,000 people, including representatives from 100 countries, attended the event. However, ambassadors from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the European Union were absent. Their governments sent lower-ranking officials in response to Suzuki's decision to exclude Israel, which they argued was unfairly equated with Russia and Belarus, who were also not invited.
US Ambassador Rahm Emanuel attended a separate ceremony in Tokyo at a Buddhist temple, honouring the victims of the Nagasaki bombing, alongside his Israeli and British counterparts, Gilad Cohen and Julia Longbottom. Emanuel emphasized the importance of remembering the tragic events of 79 years ago, despite not being in Nagasaki.
Suzuki denied that the decision to exclude Israel was political, saying he wanted to avoid any "unforeseeable situations," such as protests related to the conflict in Gaza, which might disrupt the ceremony. He stressed that the anniversary is the most important day for Nagasaki and should be marked peacefully and solemnly.
Emanuel disagreed, calling the decision political rather than based on security concerns, given that the prime minister attended the event, which required high security. He argued that excluding Israel suggested a "moral equivalence between Russia and Israel," with one being an invader and the other a victim of invasion, and said he could not support that judgment by attending the ceremony.
Israeli Ambassador Cohen expressed his appreciation on social media for the countries that supported Israel's stance against its exclusion from the Nagasaki ceremony, thanking them for standing "on the right side of history."
This anniversary follows the recent reaffirmation by the United States and Japan of the US commitment to protect Japan under its nuclear umbrella amid growing regional tensions, marking a shift from Japan's earlier reluctance to discuss its nuclear protection openly.
