
Israeli ambassador to attend Nagasaki peace ceremony on August 9
Israel's ambassador to Japan has expressed his intention to attend this year's peace ceremony marking the US atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The city did not invite Israel for the annual August 9 event last year.
Gilad Cohen made the remarks during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Friday.
Describing the ceremony as important, Cohen said, "This shows the respect of the Israeli people to the Japanese people in this very difficult moment of remembrance and mutual understanding of the importance of peace."
Last year, Nagasaki City decided not to extend an invitation to the Israeli ambassador, as it sought to hold the ceremony smoothly in a calm and solemn atmosphere.
Ambassadors from the Group of Seven nations, excluding Japan, also skipped last year's event.
For this year's ceremony, Nagasaki has invited all countries and regions with representatives in Japan.
The Russian Embassy in Japan said on Friday that Ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev will attend. Russia and Belarus had been excluded until 2024.
British Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom also expressed her intention to attend when she visited Nagasaki earlier this month. The ambassador was absent last year.

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KYODO NEWS - 1 hour ago - 23:12 | All, Japan, World Israel will attend the peace ceremony marking the anniversary of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki in August, the country's ambassador has said, after the Middle Eastern nation was not invited last year. Ambassador of Israel to Japan Gilad Cohen revealed he had received an invitation from the mayor of Nagasaki during a press conference Friday. He said he will show Israel's "respect to the Japanese people" and "mutual understanding of the importance of peace." It comes after the Nagasaki city government did not invite Israel in 2024 amid its conflict with Palestinian militants in Gaza. In response, ambassadors from the Group of Seven nations other than Japan pulled out of the annual ceremony. For this year's event, marking 80 years since the bombing, the city government said in May it intends to adopt a more inclusive approach inviting representatives from all the diplomatic missions in Japan. On Thursday, Russian media said Russian Ambassador to Japan Nikolay Nozdrev will attend the ceremony, the first presence from the country since it began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Related coverage: Iran envoy urges A-bombed Japan to stand against U.S. attacks Russian envoy to Japan to attend A-bomb ceremony in Nagasaki in Aug.


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7 hours ago
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Israeli ambassador to attend Nagasaki peace ceremony on August 9
Israel's ambassador to Japan has expressed his intention to attend this year's peace ceremony marking the US atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The city did not invite Israel for the annual August 9 event last year. Gilad Cohen made the remarks during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Friday. Describing the ceremony as important, Cohen said, "This shows the respect of the Israeli people to the Japanese people in this very difficult moment of remembrance and mutual understanding of the importance of peace." Last year, Nagasaki City decided not to extend an invitation to the Israeli ambassador, as it sought to hold the ceremony smoothly in a calm and solemn atmosphere. Ambassadors from the Group of Seven nations, excluding Japan, also skipped last year's event. For this year's ceremony, Nagasaki has invited all countries and regions with representatives in Japan. The Russian Embassy in Japan said on Friday that Ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev will attend. Russia and Belarus had been excluded until 2024. British Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom also expressed her intention to attend when she visited Nagasaki earlier this month. The ambassador was absent last year.