Simon Wiesenthal Center to Japanese Ambassador: Disinformation and Denial of October 7th Hamas Terrorist Attacks Against Israeli Women Fueling Anti-Israel Sentiment

June 25, 2024

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewish Human Rights organization, has called on the Japanese government to publicly denounce denials of the murderous October 7th  attacks against Israelis, including the rape of Israeli women by Hamas terrorists, that have been appearing in Japanese social media. 

In a letter sent on June 17th from Rabbi Abraham Cooper, SWC Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action Agenda to Mr. Shigeo Yamada, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States; Rabbi Cooper called attention to recent YouTube posts in which a Japanese journalist, Miki Otaka, denies Hamas’ terrorist attacks of October 7th, the largest single-day mass murder of Jews since the WWII Nazi Holocaust, and instead demonizes the Jewish state and her citizens.

In his letter to the Japanese Ambassador, Rabbi Cooper wrote: “Ambassador Yamada, we all know the power of social media to influence people and in the case of Ms. Otaka, there are those who would take this journalist’s screeds as fact since she is influential enough to regularly write for a publication that carries articles written by members of the Japanese Diet.”

Rabbi Cooper also noted that “she has ‘liked’ a pernicious and lurid online posting that alleges that there was a nursery in Auschwitz and links Holocaust denial to the denial of Oct 7th.”

Rabbi Cooper also cited other recent examples of anti-Semitism in Japan, including the cancellation of a reservation by a hotel in Kyoto for an Israeli tourist; as well as a decision by the City of Nagasaki to invite a Palestinian envoy to its annual peace ceremony commemoration on August 9th, but to date has not invited Israel to the 79th anniversary of the dropping of an atomic bomb on that city in 1945 by the United States. 

Commenting on Nagasaki’s decision, Rabbi Abraham Cooper said,  “In the name of a ceremony to promote peace and understanding, the local mayor of Nagasaki has decided to invite the Palestinian Authority — which financially rewards terrorists and their families for murdering and maiming Jews — while shunning Israel, a friend of Japan and the Japanese people as the Jewish state fights to eliminate terrorists who operate under military tunnels just kilometers from Israeli communities. We are worried that the pro-Hamas narrative that exonerates the terrorists and blames the victim for fighting back is gaining traction in Japan.”

Rabbi Cooper further said:  “As a frequent visitor to Japan, I have long valued the good relations between the Japanese people and the world Jewish community.  The Simon Wiesenthal Center respectfully urges the government of Japan to use its moral voice to denounce the denial of October 7th and the demonization of Israel, and to ensure that Israel and Israeli citizens are not subjected to discriminatory measures for the sin of defending themselves from terrorists bent on their destruction.”

For further information, please email Michele Alkin, Director of Global Communications at malkin@wiesenthal.com or Erik Simon at esimon@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. 

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).