Ambassador Gilad Cohen on Saturday called the remarks by Toshiyuki Mimaki, co-chair of Hidankyo, "outrageous and baseless" in a post on social media platform X (previously Twitter). Cohen said the comparison "distort[s] history and dishonor[s] the victims."
Mimaki had said at a press conference on Friday after the Nobel announcement that the situation in Gaza, where "children are bleeding out so much, reminds me of Japan 80 years ago."
The comments come amid growing international concern over civilian casualties in Gaza resulting from Israel's military response to an attack by Hamas last October.
