TOKYO (Reuters) – A 53-year-old man was arrested in Tokyo on Thursday after a car crashed into a barrier near the entrance to the Israeli embassy, injuring a police officer, authorities said.
The police said that the suspect was a member of a right-wing organization, without going into details, and that a policeman in his twenties suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
Israel’s ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, said in a social media post that he was “shocked” by the events and thanked the police for ensuring their security.
[1/5]View from the accident scene after a car crashed into a barrier near the Israeli Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-hoon Obtaining licensing rights
The incident occurred in an area close to the embassy, which has witnessed a number of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in recent weeks against the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.
Residents said police have strengthened security measures in the area, including setting up temporary checkpoints, since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7.
A month ago, an employee of the Israeli embassy in Beijing was attacked in the street and taken to hospital.
Reporting by Francis Tang, Satoshi Sugiyama and Mariko Katsumura;
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