Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The Kansai Gaza Emergency Action group has attracted 3,586 signatures to a petition that protests the Japanese government’s decision to invite Israel to participate in the Osaka-Kansai World Expo 2025.

The group has delivered letters of protest to TOKURA Masakazu, the Chairman of the Japan Association for the International Exposition, and Foreign Minister KAMIKAWA Yoko. It wants to know why Israel has been invited while Russia has not.

Japan has said that Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip were directly triggered by terrorist attacks by Hamas and others, and “it is inappropriate to treat them in the same light as Russia’s unilateral invasion of Ukraine.” The group did not accept the Japanese government’s excuse.

“As citizens of the Kansai region who are deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Palestine, we strongly protest against this move,” it said. “Considering the enormous damage caused by the genocide that Israel has been continuing in the Gaza Strip in defiance of the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice, accepting Israel’s participation in the Expo is a diplomatic stance that disregards human rights and is completely incomprehensible.”

The group accused Israel of violating UN resolutions and the international community of holding double standards, effectively “condoning Israel’s genocide.”

Since last year, the Japanese Government has taken the position that it will “refrain from making a definitive legal assessment” of Israel’s attacks on Gaza and has been hesitant to impose punitive measures against Israel. 

“Rejecting Israel’s participation in the Expo is essential to send a clear message to the international community that Israel, which continues to ignore orders and act out of control, must immediately cease military action,” Kansai Gaza Emergency Action said in a statement. “Failure to do so will send the opposite message.”

Nagasaki Mayor SUZUKI Shiro has already announced that his city will not send invitations to Israel – or Russia – to the annual Peace Ceremony on August 9 that commemorates the atomic bombing in 1945.

“We strongly urge the Japanese government and the World Expo Association to immediately reconsider their stance on accepting Israel’s participation in the Expo and to change their policy to not approve its participation,” the group stated.