Nihon Hidankyo, also known as Hibakusha, a grassroots Japanese organization, was declared the winner of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.
“Hibakusha is receiving the Peace Prize for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee stated in its announcement of the winner.
“The Hibakusha help us to describe the indescribable, to think the unthinkable, and to somehow grasp the incomprehensible pain and suffering caused by nuclear weapons,” the committee stated
Nihon Hidankyo members include witnesses to the only two nuclear weapons ever used in warfare, the atomic bombs dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War Two, and who have become advocates for a nuclear-free world.
Joergen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, warned that nations should not even contemplate using nuclear weapons.
“Today’s nuclear weapons have far greater destructive power. They can kill millions and would impact the climate catastrophically,” Frydnes said. “A nuclear war could destroy our civilization.”
Jewish organizations, survivors of the October 7 massacre, and families of the massacre victims and hostages who were kidnapped to Gaza during the massacre had expressed concern that UNRWA, the United Nations organization for the descendants of Arab refugees and displaced persons from Israel's War of Independence in 1948, had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
UNRWA has been shown to have an extensive connection with the Hamas terrorist organization, having employed many Hamas terrorists, including those who took part in the October 7 massacre. UNRWA schools have also taught many of those who grew up to become Hamas terrorists and feature curriculums that teach hatred of Jews and glorification of martyrdom and violence.
An Im Tirzu petition condemning the nomination of UNRWA for the Nobel Peace Prize garnered 12,000 signatures.
At a Hostages Family Forum press conference yesterday, Ayelet Samerano, mother of Yonatan Samerano who was murdered on October 7th and whose body was taken to Gaza by an UNRWA social worker, spoke at the press conference. She was joined by Daniel Carmon, the Deputy Permanent Representative at Israel's UN mission and Ambassador to India, and Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch.
Ayelet stated, "In the first few months after October 7, we reached out to many human rights organizations and peace organizations. We sought help from these organizations, because they advocate for human rights and peace. We hoped they would assist us in bringing back the hostages."
"To our shock, after 100 days, we discovered that the person who kidnapped our child works for UNRWA. He was a social worker employed by UNRWA, an organization whose sole purpose is supposed to be providing humanitarian aid. UNRWA was founded on the principles of human rights and humanity. However, this is clearly not the case with UNRWA as we know it now. We're talking about an organization that has taken a very active part in the murder, rape, and kidnapping of innocent people.
"It's inconceivable that such an organization could be nominated for such an important award as the Nobel Peace Prize.
"The Nobel Peace Prize should be given to those who promote peace and push for humanitarian aid, not to those who participate in actions that are the complete opposite of humanity," she said.