TOKYO, Nov 16 (Portal) – A 53-year-old man was arrested in Tokyo on Thursday after he crashed a car into a barricade near the entrance to the Israeli embassy, injuring a police officer, authorities said .
Police said the suspect was a member of a right-wing organization, without elaborating, and that a police officer in his 20s suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Israel’s ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, said in a social media post that he was “shocked” by the events and thanked police for ensuring their safety.
[1/5]A view of the scene after a car crashed into a barricade near the Israeli embassy in Tokyo, Japan, November 16, 2023. Portal/Kim Kyung-Hoon ACQUIRES LICENSE
The incident occurred in an area near the embassy, where a handful of pro-Palestinian demonstrations against the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip have taken place in recent weeks.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, police have increased security in the area, including setting up makeshift barricades, residents said.
A month ago, an employee of the Israeli embassy in Beijing was attacked on the street and hospitalized.
Reporting by Francis Tang, Satoshi Sugiyama and Mariko Katsumura; Edited by John Geddie, Christopher Cushing and Raju Gopalakrishnan
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