Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action for the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) and former Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, condemned remarks made by commentator Toru Tamagawa on TV Asahi questioning whether Jared Kushner, a US Special Envoy for Peace, should be involved in negotiations with Iran because he is Jewish.
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Commentator Toru Tamagawa, appearing on Friday’s broadcast of TV Asahi’s Hatori Shinichi Morning Show, questioned whether the special envoy’s Jewish background should have disqualified him from being involved in US-Iran talks.
“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.”
The criticism comes during the week of Holocaust Remembrance Day, which Cooper referenced in his response. “This week Jews commemorate Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, when we remember 6 million innocent Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II and those few brave souls, such as Japanese diplomat Chinue Sugihara, who saved thousands of Jewish refugees from certain death.”
Cooper said the comments reflect a broader pattern of rising antisemitism and called on Japan to respond more forcefully. “Antisemitism is raging the world over. 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.”
He also criticized how the issue was handled during and after the broadcast, saying Tamagawa’s remarks should have been challenged immediately. “Tamagawa should have immediately been criticized on the air for inserting a person's religion and ethnicity into the discussion over Iran.”
Japanese TV explanation insufficient, rabbi says
Addressing the network’s response, he said that TV Asahi's explanation did not resolve the issue. “TV Asahi’s later statement asserts that there was no intention to discriminate. The impact of that not-so-subtle statement was to open the gates to discriminate against a person because of their identity.”
Cooper further connected the incident to Japan’s approach toward Iran, suggesting that longstanding ties have shaped its public posture.
“We have been told for decades that Japan has a special relationship and respect for Iran because it represents an ancient civilization,” he said. “As a result, criticism by Japan of Iran has been muted or absent altogether when the ayatollahs and their thugs murdered and maimed their own young citizens and built an empire of terrorism. But the real reason for Japan’s silence is because of Iranian oil.”