Nagasaki will invite all countries with diplomatic representation in Japan—including Israel, Russia and Belarus—to its annual memorial ceremony for victims of the atomic bombing of the city in 1945, Mayor Shiro Suzuki announced.
The decision marks a significant reversal by the mayor, who last year excluded those three nations from the event, citing a desire to maintain a "peaceful atmosphere" during the ceremony.
Israel was left out in 2023 due to the war in Gaza, prompting a diplomatic backlash: Western ambassadors, led by the United States, boycotted the event, a move widely seen as a major embarrassment for Suzuki. This year, city officials decided to avoid further controversy by inviting Israel. “Now that divisions in the international community are deepening, I want everyone to participate and experience with their own eyes, ears and hearts the cruelty of nuclear weapons,” the mayor said.
Sources in Nagasaki confirmed that U.S. officials once again conveyed their expectation that Israel be invited to prevent a repeat of last year's boycott by America and most Western nations.
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Israel’s ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, responded to the announcement by saying, “Israel, which defends itself against brutal terrorism, will stand tall in every forum and every international ceremony.” The Israeli Embassy is currently awaiting the official invitation to the memorial, which will take place on August 9.
Last year, alongside the United States, ambassadors from the G7 nations—Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Canada—boycotted the Nagasaki ceremony, instead sending lower-ranking diplomats. Many ambassadors from European Union countries also stayed away, including the EU's own representative. Australia and Ukraine’s ambassadors did not attend either.
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed tens of thousands of people, some instantly and others over time due to radiation-related illnesses. The bombings ultimately led to Japan's surrender in World War II.