This Japanese Nuclear Bomb Survivor Nobel Winner Compared Gaza To Hiroshima And Israel Is Furious
Israel called the nuclear bomb survivor's comments "outrageous and baseless", accusing him of of "distorting history and dishonoring the victims."
Israel has criticized the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize winner, 82-year-old Toshiyuki Mimaki, a Hiroshima nuclear bomb survivor, for comparing the suffering of children in Gaza to what happened in Japan 80 years ago.
On Friday, Oct. 11, Mimaki was speechless and overwhelmed with happiness when he learned that the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, known as Nihon Hidankyo, won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Nihon Hidankyo, formed in 1956 after World War II, represents survivors across the globe to share their personal stories about the "atrocious damage" and pain caused by nuclear weapons.
Born in Hiroshima, Mimaki was only three years old when he saw the atomic bomb drop on Aug. 6, 1945.
The devastation he witnessed shaped his lifelong work for peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons, becoming the co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo which advocates for a world free of nuclear weapons.
“Never did I dream this could happen,” a visibly emotional Mimaki said after hearing about his organization’s win, pinching his face as if to assure himself he wasn’t dreaming.
He then expressed surprise over his win and said, “They selected Nihon Hidankyo?”
“I thought those fighting hard for peace in Gaza would deserve it,” he said, during a live interview with Japanese outlet NHK.
Earlier, many had speculated that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which has been supporting Palestinians in Gaza for years, would be chosen to be awarded the Nobel Prize, according to BBC.
“The images of the children in Gaza covered with blood held by their parents remind me of Japan 80 years ago,” Mimaki said.
“Children lost their fathers and lost their mothers with the nuclear bomb. They became orphans,” he added.
He also addressed the continued danger nuclear weapons pose in the world and how many countries are unwilling to envision a world without them.
“The idea that the world is safe because there are nuclear weapons – we are absolutely opposed to this,” he said, stressing that world peace can be maintained without resorting to such nuclear weapons.
When asked about the message he would like to share with the world, Mimaki said, "Please abolish nuclear weapons while we are still alive. “
Holding back tears, he criticized governments for waging wars despite people calling for peace.
“Especially in places like Israel and Gaza, children are being covered in blood and living every day without food, having their schools destroyed, stations destroyed and bridges destroyed,” he went on to say.
Israel's ambassador to Japan strongly condemned Mimaki, calling his remarks "outrageous and baseless" and saying that such comparisons "distort history and dishonor the victims."
“I found no statement from the organization's chairman on the October 7th massacre, where 1,200 people, including women and children, were murdered by Hamas, and 251 were kidnapped into Gaza,” he wrote in a post on X.
Since Oct. 7, Israel has killed at least 42,010 Palestinians, with at least 17,000 being children and many under the age of two.
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Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
