Israel has sharply criticized Toshiyuki Mimaki, a prominent survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, for drawing a comparison between the 1945 blast and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Mimaki, who leads the Nihon Hidankyo organization representing survivors of the US attack, made the statement after the group was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Mimaki remarked, “I thought for sure the Nobel prize would go to those working so hard in Gaza, as we’ve seen. In Gaza, bleeding children are being held by their parents. It’s like Japan 80 years ago.”
In response, Israel’s ambassador to Japan condemned the comparison as “outrageous and baseless,” stating that such remarks “distort history and dishonor the victims.”