JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

A hotel in Kyoto, Japan, asked an Israeli tourist to sign a declaration that he had not committed war crimes during his military service as a condition to check in, Ynetnews reported on Saturday.

The tourist said the incident occurred after he presented his Israeli passport at reception.

"The clerk handed me this form and told me that without signing it, I wouldn't be allowed to check in," said the man, who served as a combat medic in the Navy reserves.

The form, according to the tourist, required him to declare that he had not committed war crimes, including rape, murder of individuals who had surrendered or attacks on civilians.

The Israeli tourist initially refused to sign the form, but signed it after the hotel official informed him that all Israeli and Russian guests were required to do so.

“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 ill-treatment of those who surrendered or were taken as prisoners of war, torture or inhuman treatment, sexual violence, forced displacement or looting, and other acts falling within the scope of Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC),” the form stated.

"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," the document read.

After the incident, Israel's Ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, sent a letter to Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki, saying it was unacceptable.

The hotel manager told Ynetnews that requiring the declaration was appropriate. “For us, war is a distant thing, and we have never met people who kill women and children and bomb schools,” he said.

A similar incident took place at another hotel in Kyoto last June.

Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its military actions in Gaza, where it has killed more than 50,000 people since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

Separately, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.