An Israeli tourist in Kyoto, Japan, was asked to sign a declaration affirming he had not committed war crimes during his military service as a condition for checking into a hotel.
The tourist recounted that after presenting his Israeli passport at the reception, a clerk handed him a form, saying he could not check in without signing it. The man, a Navy reserves combat medic, said the form required him to declare he had never committed war crimes, including acts such as rape, killing of surrendered individuals, or attacks on civilians, Ynetnews reported Saturday.
Initially refusing, the tourist eventually signed the document after being informed that the requirement applied to all Israeli and Russian guests.
The form stated: “I have never been involved in any war crimes in violation of international and humanitarian law, including but not limited to attacks on civilians (children, women, etc.), killing or mistreatment of those who surrendered or were taken prisoner, torture, sexual violence, forced displacement, looting, or any act falling under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).” It further required the signer to pledge to comply with international humanitarian law in the future.
Following the incident, Israel’s Ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, sent a letter of protest to Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki, calling the hotel’s practice unacceptable.
The hotel manager defended the policy, saying: “For us, war is a distant thing, and we have never met people who kill women and children and bomb schools.”
A similar case reportedly occurred at another Kyoto hotel in June last year.
The incident comes against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice after its campaign in Gaza, where over 50,000 people have reportedly been killed since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.
Additionally, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Gaza.
