Japanese hotel requests "Israeli" guests to confirm no involvement in war crimes

A hotel in Kyoto, Japan, has caused a stir after it asked an "Israeli" tourist to sign a declaration denying involvement in war crimes during his military service.

The tourist, who was staying at the Wind Villa Hotel, was presented with a form that required him to affirm he had not committed war crimes, including attacks on civilians, the killing of surrendering individuals, or sexual violence. The form also asked the guest to deny involvement in torture, forced displacement, or looting.

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According to "Israeli" news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, the hotel employee explained that the policy applied to both "Israeli" and Russian guests, but the tourist initially refused to sign, citing a desire to "stay out of politics." However, he eventually agreed to sign the declaration, saying he had "nothing to hide" and that he did not want to cause any issues. He described the document as ultimately "meaningless" to him.

The declaration reportedly reads: "Pledge of Non-Involvement in War Crimes. I hereby pledge the following: I have never been involved in any war crimes that violate international law and humanitarian law. I have never committed war crimes, including but not limited to: Attacks on civilians (children, women, etc.); killing or mistreating those who have surrendered or
been taken as prisoners of war; torture or inhumane treatment; sexual violence, forced displacement, or looting; any other acts that fall under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). I have never planned, ordered, aided, abetted, or incited war crimes, nor have I participated in such acts. I pledge to continue complying with international law and humanitarian law and to never engage in war crimes in any form."

After the incident, the tourist reached out to the "Israeli" Ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, who sent a letter to Kyoto’s Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki, calling the request a "discriminatory act based solely on nationality." Following this, the governor confirmed that an official investigation had been launched into the hotel’s conduct.

Despite the backlash, the hotel’s management defended its actions. The manager explained that with "Israel's" compulsory military service, it was impossible to know whether young "Israelis" had been involved in the ongoing aggression on Gaza.

"We do not know who may have been involved," the manager told Yedioth Ahronoth. "We believe we have the right to know who we are hosting. This step was also intended to guarantee our safety."

The move comes amid growing global concern over "Israel’s" actions in Gaza, where over 61,700 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 18,000 children and 12,000 women.

Last year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) deemed it plausible that "Israel’s" actions in Gaza could constitute genocide. Additionally, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity.