Israel envoy protests Japanese TV commentator’s remarks about Kushner’s Jewish identity

Israel’s ambassador to Japan and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre have condemned a Japanese political commentator over remarks he made on a morning news programme that were widely criticised as suggesting Jared Kushner should not be involved in negotiations with Iran because he is Jewish.Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, joined Vice-President J.D. Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff in Islamabad over the weekend for talks aimed at ending the war between the US, Israel and Iran.Commentator Toru Tamagawa made the remarks on Friday’s broadcast of TV Asahi’s Hatori Shinichi Morning Show during a segment on the Middle East and Kushner’s role as a Trump envoy.“It just looks like he’s there as a representative of the Trump family, and moreover, he’s Jewish, isn’t he?” Tamagawa said. “Regarding these talks with Iran, I feel like he’s someone who would be better off not being there, and I’ve always wondered what kind of person he is, coming in as the son-in-law.”Israeli Ambassador Gilad Cohen confirmed on Tuesday that he had sent a letter of complaint to TV Asahi, even as the broadcaster defended its handling of the segment.In a post on social media, Cohen wrote: “I have sent a formal letter to TV Asahi regarding the concerning remarks made by Toru Tamagawa, who suggested that Jared Kushner should be excluded from diplomatic negotiations simply because he is Jewish.”“Kushner’s role in diplomacy is unrelated to his religion,” he said. “He has made significant contributions to the advancement of regional peace, including the Abraham Accords, and possesses a wealth of experience and expertise.”Kushner is married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, and was a lead architect of the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalised ties between Israel and several Arab states.Cohen added that “peace-building should be based on experience and sincerity, not on personal attributes or religion”, and said there was “absolutely no room for discrimination or antisemitism”.Calling for unity against “all hatred and exclusion”, Cohen told TV Asahi: “I believe you will take this matter seriously.”In a statement to J-Cast News, the broadcaster said, “We do not believe the allegations are correct.”Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a Los Angeles-based Jewish human rights organisation, denounced both Tamagawa and TV Asahi in a statement issued to This Week in Asia.Further Reading“Tamagawa should have immediately been criticised on the air for inserting a person’s religion and ethnicity into the discussion over Iran,” Cooper said.“TV Asahi’s later statement asserts that there was no intention to discriminate,” he added. “The impact of that not-so-subtle statement was to open the gates to discriminate against a person because of their identity.“Antisemitism is raging the world over,” Cooper said. “Japan is a friend and ally. We expect better from friends and allies. I would welcome the opportunity to appear on TV Asahi and other media outlets to explain to the Japanese public how much such comments damage world Jewry.”Tamagawa also made headlines for a provocative comment in March, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi went to Washington for talks with Trump and the president made a joke about the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Trump’s talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi off to positive start