Pro-Palestine activists gathered near the commemoration site in Hiroshima to protest the local administration’s invitation to Israeli officials, highlighting the ongoing conflict in Gaza. As Japan marked the 79th anniversary of the U.S. nuclear attack on Hiroshima, peace activists drew attention to the devastating impact of the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza, which have resulted in nearly 40,000 Palestinian deaths.
On Tuesday, demonstrations, slogans, and calls against Israel were held in Hiroshima and other parts of Japan. The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, followed by Nagasaki on August 9, leading to at least 140,000 deaths by the end of that year.
During this year’s commemoration, participants at a peace event observed a moment of silence at 8:15 AM (2315 GMT, Monday), the exact time the bomb was dropped in 1945. However, pro-Palestine and peace activists assembled nearby to protest the invitation extended to Israeli officials, emphasizing that Israel’s military actions in Gaza have claimed many lives since October 7 of the previous year.
Social media user @hiroshima_mai reported that people gathered near the event, calling for an end to Israel’s invasion of Gaza. Videos and photos of pro-Palestine events across Japan circulated online, with attendees advocating for a ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Another user, @toshobin, noted that activists held a rally in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome, while police set up barriers to separate them from the commemorative event. Hiroshima Governor expressed concern about ongoing global conflicts, stating, “War continues all over the world… Men, women, children, and the elderly are being shot through with bullets or blown to pieces by missiles.” This statement came as TV channels covered the participation of the Israeli ambassador at the commemoration.
While Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui declined to remove Israeli officials from the event, he acknowledged the tragic loss of innocent lives in conflicts, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the situation in Israel and Palestine. Hiroshima’s invitation to Israeli officials has drawn criticism for perceived double standards, given that Japan has not invited representatives from Russia or Belarus since the onset of the Ukraine war and has also not invited anyone from the Palestinian embassy.
Ambassador Waleed Siam has, however, been invited to address an alternative peace event virtually. Matsui expressed that these global tragedies deepen distrust and fear among nations, emphasizing the need to reject reliance on military force.
As the only nation to experience nuclear bombing, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that it is Japan’s “duty” to work toward a world free of nuclear weapons. Pro-Palestine protesters in Tokyo also held placards calling for a boycott of Israeli products. A “die-in” protest occurred outside the Israeli Embassy in Tokyo, coinciding with the moments of silence held in Hiroshima to honor the victims of the U.S. nuclear bombing.
