US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel will not attend Nagasaki's peace ceremony due to Israel's exclusion from the annual commemoration of the 1945 atomic bombing of the city, as confirmed by the embassy.
The ceremony, set to take place at Nagasaki Peace Park on Friday, will see diplomats from over 100 countries observing a minute of silence to mark the dropping of the second atomic bomb by the US during World War II in Japan.
Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki had announced last week that Israel would be excluded from the event citing security concerns, despite warnings from Western nations about potential implications for their ambassadors' attendance.
Several ambassadors, including those from France, Germany, Italy, the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, expressed concerns in a letter dated July 19, stating that excluding Israel could impact high-level participation in the ceremony.
While the German ambassador Clemens von Goetze will not attend, sending a minister counselor instead, the attendance of other signatories to the letter remains unconfirmed.
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 led to Japan's surrender in World War II but resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands due to immediate impact and radiation sickness in the following years.
Both cities hold annual memorials attended by diplomats to advocate for global peace and the prohibition of nuclear weapons.
Nagasaki's decision to exclude Israel contrasts with Hiroshima, which invited the Israeli ambassador to Japan, leading to protests from pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Activists and bomb survivor groups had urged both cities to exclude Israel, similar to how Russia and Belarus were disinvited due to the situation in Ukraine.
The US ambassador's absence is attributed to the political nature of Israel's exclusion, as stated in a letter sent by like-minded ambassadors to the Nagasaki mayor.
The US embassy mentioned that Ambassador Emanuel will participate in a peace ceremony at Zojoji Temple in Tokyo and hold a moment of silence at the embassy, with the consulate in Fukuoka representing the US government at Nagasaki.
Mayor Suzuki reiterated that the exclusion of Israel was not politically motivated but aimed at ensuring a smooth and peaceful ceremony, despite criticism from the Israeli ambassador.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi noted that while the foreign affairs ministry had engaged with Nagasaki on international affairs, local authorities have the final say in organizing events.
