May 12, 2024

Representatives of Hiroshima A-bomb survivors and antinuke groups visited the Hiroshima City government on May 10 to lodge a protest against the city’s intent to invite an Israeli official to the August 6 A-Bomb Day ceremony hosted by the city.

The city intends to invite the Israeli representative to the peace memorial ceremony, while not inviting Russian and Belarusian representatives. Leaders of the Hiroshima Federation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hiroshima Hidankyo), the Hiroshima Prefectural Council against A and H Bombs (Hiroshima Gensuikyo), and the Hiroshima local of the Association for a Peaceful, Democratic, and Progressive Japan (Hiroshima Kakushinkon) said, “This is a blatant double standard.”

They submitted a written request addressed to City Mayor Matsui Kazumi, asking him to “strongly urge Russia and Israel to cease military operations immediately.”

They said, “The city’s plan will give a bad impression of Hiroshima which is designated as an international city of peace and culture,” criticizing the mayor’s attitude for being inappropriate as the president of Mayors for Peace.

In response, a senior official of the city government admitted, “We have received 1,020 protest e-mails about this issue.”