After Japan excluded Israel from a Nagasaki ceremony due to fears of possible protest disruptions, the U.S. ambassador, along with many of his counterparts, decided to skip the event.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and other ambassadors, including those from Britain, Canada, France, Italy, and Australia, will not attend the 79th annual memorial marking the 1945 atomic bombing.

Nagasaki’s mayor cited security concerns related to the Gaza war as the reason for not inviting Israel’s ambassador.

In response, Emanuel will attend a different event to honor the Nagasaki atomic bomb victims in Tokyo, UPI has reported.

Critics argue that excluding Israel sends the wrong message, while others support Nagasaki’s decision amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Written by B.C. Begley