On Thursday, Ambassador Issa Kassissieh, received an international delegation from the Flame of Hope / HOPE80 initiative at the Embassy.The initiative carries the Hiroshima Flame, a global symbol of peace, justice, and human dignity. The flame received the blessing of His Holiness Pope Leone XIV during the General Audience held at St. Peter’s Square on 18 June 2025.
The delegation included:
• Rev. Ryokyo Endo, founder of Earth Caravan (Japan) and initiator of the Flame of
Hope;
• Mr. Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi;
• Ms. Jun Ichikawa, Flame of Hope representative in Italy;
• Ms. Ami Nara, Flame of Hope representative in Japan.
The delegation presented to Ambassador Kassissieh the detailed plan to bring the flame to Bethlehem, Palestine, marking 80 years since the bombing of Hiroshima. The Flame is a message of Hope and Peace embracing the moto of “never again”. The initiative is coordinated in Palestine by Holy Land Trust, in cooperation with the Bethlehem Municipality and the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine.
