Israel tells Japan official's comments on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are 'unacceptable'

JERUSALEM – Israel has distanced itself from a government official who made strong comments about the World War II nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Responding to a Japanese request for clarification, a top Israeli envoy told Japan that the comments were "unacceptable" and that the official had been suspended.

Danny Seaman was a government public relations official and posted on Facebook that he was "sick" of "self-righteous" Japanese and international commemorations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki victims. He said those events were the results of "Japanese aggression."

The comment embarrassed Israel before an international ally.

Israeli diplomatic officials said Thursday that National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror made the clarifications last week. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private diplomatic discussions with the media.