On Wednesday (April 10), an anti-nuclear weapons group in Hiroshima strongly criticized the remarks of US Republican Congressman Tim Wahlberg. The parliamentarian's analogy between the use of atomic bombs to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki drew widespread condemnation.
Hiroshima's opposition to the atomic and hydrogen bombs expressed their displeasure in a letter to Wahlberg, urging him to retract the remarks he made on March 25. The group argues that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are highly inappropriate to use as a metaphor for a swift end to the war. They stressed the need to be sensitive and aware of the suffering and suffering caused by the atomic bombings.
"We are disappointed by the ignorance and insensitivity of people to the pain and suffering caused by the atomic bombing," the statement read. At the same time, they called on Michigan legislators to visit the two Japanese cities and talk to atomic bomb survivors.
Tadashi Akiba, the former mayor of Hiroshima and head of Hiroshima's opposition team against atomic and hydrogen bombs, further emphasized the importance of changing the prevailing American view that the atomic bombing hastened Japan's surrender and the end of World War II. He called for a deeper understanding of the tragic consequences of those bombings and stressed the need to promote peace and disarmament.
Congressman Wahlberg's remarks at a local town hall meeting quickly gained traction on social media and were criticized by the Democratic Party of the United States and Japan's main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, among others.
While some have called for a formal protest from Japan, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said there was "no need" to protest the remarks at this time. However, Kenta Izumi, the leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party, expressed disbelief that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as a member of the Diet for the Hiroshima constituency, has not yet expressed his views. The controversy has sparked a wide discussion about the appropriate use of historical references and metaphors in political discourse.
In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military has been engaged in a long-running conflict with Hamas since the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a raid on southern Israel on October 7. The situation is complex and volatile, and all parties are working to find a peaceful solution to alleviate the suffering of civilians.