[Source]
Toshiyuki Mimaki, a survivor of the Hiroshima bombings, expressed surprise that those who defended Gaza did not win the Nobel Peace Prize, as they accepted it on behalf of Nihon Hidankyo on Friday. At a news conference, Mimaki warned against the use of nuclear weapons, citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as reminiscent of Japan’s plight during World War II.
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What he said: Nihon Hidankyo, also known as the Hibakusha, is a group of atomic bomb survivors who advocate the abolition of nuclear weapons. The group was named this year’s winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, with surprising co-chair Mimaki. “They chose Nihon Hidankyo? I thought those who fight hard for peace in Gaza would deserve it,” he told reporters. Witnessing the horrors of nuclear war as a young child, he expressed concerns about escalation and warned: “If Russia [nuclear weapons] against Ukraine, Israel against Gaza, it will not end there.” He also drew a striking parallel between the suffering of Gazan and Japanese children in the aftermath of the 1945 bombing, saying: “Bleeding children are being held in Gaza. It’s just like Japan 80 years ago.”
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Israel answers: In an Cohen pointed to the group’s lack of statements about the events of October 7, 2023, arguing that such comments “distort history and dishonor the victims” of Japan’s atomic bombings. The ambassador also reiterated that Gaza is ruled by Hamas, “a murderous terrorist organization” that is committing a double war crime by “attacking Israeli civilians, including women and children, while using its own people as human shields.”
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