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, the embassy confirmed. 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 tragic event.
Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki cited security concerns as the reason for Israel's exclusion, despite warnings from Western nations about potential implications for their own ambassadors' attendance. Ambassadors from France, Germany, Italy, the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union expressed concerns in a letter to the mayor, stating that excluding Israel could impact high-level participation in the event.
