A hotel in Kyoto, Japan, asked an Israeli tourist who had served in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to sign a declaration affirming that he had not committed war crimes during his military service, before allowing him to check in. The incident occurred amid Israel’s ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip.
The tourist was given the declaration form upon showing his Israeli passport to staff at the Guesthouse Wind Villa in the Higashiyama district, under threat of being refused service if he declined to sign.
The form included references to acts such as rape, the killing of civilians—including those surrendering or waving white flags—and other war crimes, which are documented as part of Israel’s military history.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli news outlet, the hotel representative explained that the policy applied to both Israeli and Russian guests. The tourist initially declined, citing a wish to “stay out of politics,” but later agreed, saying he had “nothing to hide” and wanted to avoid conflict. He described the declaration as ultimately “meaningless” to him.
The declaration, titled Pledge of Non-Involvement in War Crimes, reads,
“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 never to engage in war crimes in any form.”
In response to the incident, the hotel published a letter on X (formerly Twitter), allegedly written by Israel’s ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen. In the letter, Cohen called the incident “deeply troubling” and said it “raises serious concerns about discriminatory practices” at the hotel.
“This discriminatory act, based solely on nationality, caused the guest significant emotional distress and discomfort. We view this incident as highly serious and unacceptable,” he wrote.
Cohen added that the hotel’s actions violate Japan’s Hotel Business Law and undermine the shared values of equality and non-discrimination between Israel and Japan. He called on the hotel to issue a “sincere” apology.
In a subsequent post on X, Guesthouse WIND VILLA addressed the ambassador’s remarks.
The guesthouse expressed regret for any discomfort caused but maintained that the form is not exclusive to Israeli or Russian nationals. It said the policy targets individuals from countries flagged by the ICC or United Nations as being involved in recent or ongoing military or paramilitary conflicts where war crimes have been alleged.
The guesthouse cited safety concerns for its staff and other guests as the reason behind the policy, not discrimination. It stressed its commitment to adhering to Japanese laws and said it was open to guidance from Kyoto authorities. The statement concluded with a respectful appeal to the Israeli government to uphold international and humanitarian law.
Since Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18, it has carried out relentless aerial bombardments across the Gaza Strip, resulting in thousands of Palestinian casualties.
On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 51,000, wounding more than 116,000, with over 14,000 still missing.
Israel is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice. Key Israeli figures, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are also under investigation by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes.
