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Japan Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Tokyo lodges protest after Israel fires shots at diplomats in West Bank
Tokyo on Thursday lodged a protest with Israel after the Israeli military fired what it called warning shots at a group of Japanese and other diplomats visiting the Palestinian territory of the West Bank. Speaking during a session of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Upper House, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said the incident was "truly regrettable" and "should never have happened." Iwaya said Toshihide Ando, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau, relayed Tokyo's protest to Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen, adding that the Japanese Embassy in Israel lodged a protest with the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Israeli troops on Wednesday fired shots at the group of diplomats, who were inspecting a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin. The military said it fired warning shots. The Israeli side has told the Japanese side that it was relieved no one was injured in the incident, Iwaya said. He added that Israel also said the Palestinian authorities had failed to provide information on the delegation's visit in advance. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, speaking a news conference, said Japan has strongly urged Israel to provide a full explanation and prevent a recurrence.
Express Tribune
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Japan guesthouse draw attention for war crimes pledge given to guests, including Israelis
People stroll along the stone-paved pedestrian Sannen-zaka in Kyoto on October 11, 2022 [Fred Mery/AFP] Listen to article A guesthouse in Japan's Kyoto has garnered online attention after asking guests, including an Israeli tourist, to sign a pledge stating they have not committed war crimes. The move prompted protests from Israel's ambassador to Japan and led to suspend the property's listing. The guesthouse, WIND VILLA, introduced the policy six months ago in response to global conflicts, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Israeli military assualt in Gaza, according to owner Ace Kishi. Given the number of troops deployed in Gaza, the number of casualties there, and the number of Israeli travelers abroad, it is statistically undeniable that those who have committed war crimes are walking freely in major cities and tourist destinations in the world. — Guesthouse WIND VILLA (@WindVilla) May 1, 2025 'I just wanted to express our opposition to war crimes and take some measures for our and guests' safety,' Kishi told Al Jazeera. Israeli Ambassador Gilad Cohen described the policy as a 'blatant act of discrimination' and called on Kyoto officials to intervene. Deeply concerned by the discriminatory incident that took place in April at Wind Villa guesthouse in Kyoto, where an Israeli tourist was asked to sign a declaration stating he had not committed war crimes. This is a blatant act of discrimination against Israeli citizens and an… — Gilad Cohen 🇮🇱🎗️ (@GiladCohen_) May 10, 2025 The Israeli tourist involved, a combat medic in the navy reserves, told Ynet News he signed the pledge reluctantly, stating, 'This form means nothing.' Kyoto city authorities have visited the guesthouse multiple times since the incident in April but concluded that the pledge does not violate Japan's Hotel Act. A city official told local media the requirement was 'inappropriate' but not illegal. Kishi has since amended the form to clarify that signing it does not affect a guest's eligibility to stay. He also said the form applies to individuals from various conflict zones, not just Israeli nationals. suspended WIND VILLA's account pending further review. where the guest booked his stay, has not taken similar action. On April 28, our guesthouse was suddenly suspended by without any prior inquiry, just three days after receiving a letter from the Israeli Ambassador. However, the Israeli guest in question had used a different booking site, not — Guesthouse WIND VILLA (@WindVilla) May 1, 2025
Al Jazeera
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Guest house in Japan under fire for asking Israeli guests about war crimes
A guesthouse in Japan says it is under pressure from local authorities to change a policy asking guests to declare that they have never committed war crimes following complaints by Israel's ambassador. Israeli Ambassador Gilad Cohen has accused the WIND VILLA guest house in Kyoto of discrimination following an incident in April in which an Israeli tourist was asked to sign a pledge stating he had never 'been involved in any war crimes that violate humanitarian and international law'. In a post on X over the weekend, Cohen described the request as a 'blatant act of discrimination against Israeli citizens and an unacceptable attempt to equate them with war criminals'. 'I call on the Kyoto City authorities to address this case swiftly,' Cohen said. 'We trust that the Japanese authorities will continue to uphold the values of hospitality and respect that Japan is so well known for – and ensure all visitors feel welcome and safe.'WIND VILLA owner Ace Kishi said in an interview that he has no plans to change the policy following an investigation by Kyoto city authorities and a rebuke from the Israeli envoy. Kishi said he began asking guests to sign the pledge about six months ago in response to world events. 'I was really concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Israeli attacks on Gaza,' Kishi told Al Jazeera. 'I just wanted to take some measures for our safety, and for guest safety, as well, and to express our disagreement with war crimes and international violations.' Kishi said only four people have signed the pledge so far – three Israelis and one Russian. The Israeli tourist in April was the first to take issue with the request, he said, although some guests were surprised by the document. 'Mostly, they have had no objection, they just looked a little confused,' Kishi said. 'The last one was quite confused and upset. But eventually he signed and said he hadn't committed any war crimes.' In an account of his interaction with the Israeli tourist posted on X last month, Kishi described the man as an otherwise pleasant guest and admitted to feeling a 'little sorry for him'. 'The pledge thing made us pretty awkward, but he still greeted me every time we met,' Kishi wrote. 'He even held the door open for me while I was carrying my luggage. But he believed that what Israel was doing was absolutely right and thought that I was brainwashed for criticising it.'The Israeli tourist, who has not been named, shared a similar version of events with an Israeli news outlet following his trip to Kyoto – although the Israeli report suggested the pledge was a 'condition for check-in'. 'In the end, I decided to sign it because I have nothing to hide,' the guest was quoted as telling Ynet News, which said the tourist had served as a combat medic in the navy reserves. 'The statement is true – I did not commit any war crimes, and Israeli soldiers do not commit war crimes. I signed because I didn't want to create problems, and because this form means nothing,' he was quoted as saying. Following complaints from Cohen and the Israeli embassy, Kyoto tourism authorities visited the guest house several times to carry out an investigation, Kishi said. 'At least the authorities, both from the city and the Japanese government, don't think it's a violation of the Hotel Act,' Kishi said, referring to the Japanese law governing public accommodations. 'They are just expressing their concerns and trying to convince us to change our measures. But it's beyond their authority, so it's very indirect.' Kishi said he has tweaked the wording of the pledge to state that it would not affect guests' eligibility to stay at WIND VILLA, to avoid further incidents. He also clarified in a public letter to Cohen that the pledge requires 'all guests whom our guesthouse identifies as potentially having been involved in war crimes to sign the form,' including those from Burundi, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Mali, Myanmar, Palestine, Russia, Syria, and Sudan. has suspended WIND VILLA's account since the April incident, although the Israeli guest used rival site to book his stay, according to VILLA's other accounts on booking sites, including continue to operate as normal, Kishi said. The Kyoto government and Israel's embassy in Tokyo did not reply to Al Jazeera's requests for comment. The Japan Times quoted a city official as saying WIND VILLA had not violated Japanese law, but the pledge was 'inappropriate'. told Al Jazeera that the company's mission 'is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, and we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind'. 'We have temporarily suspended this property so that we can investigate the matter further,' the spokesperson said. The WIND VILLA incident follows a similar occurrence in Kyoto last year, when a local hotel refused an Israeli man accommodation over his potential ties to Israel's actions in Gaza. The Kyoto hotel in question received verbal and written warnings from the city that it had acted illegally, according to Japan's Kyodo News. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told local media at the time that it was 'unacceptable' for any hotel to refuse accommodation because of a guest's nationality. 'We hope all visitors to Japan will be able to engage in various activities in Japan, feeling secure,' she told a news conference.
Japan Today
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
This is a blatant act of discrimination against Israeli citizens and an unacceptable attempt to equate them with war criminals.
Israel Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen, posting on X after a lodging facility in Kyoto asked an Israeli man to sign a pledge that he had never been involved in war crimes, when he checked in. © Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Kyoto lodging asks Israeli guest if he committed war crimes
KYOTO—A lodging facility in Kyoto has drawn a protest from the Israeli Embassy in Tokyo for asking an Israeli man to sign a pledge that he had never been involved in war crimes. The Israeli Embassy called it 'discriminatory' and demanded that both the Kyoto prefectural and city governments prevent the recurrence of such a situation. However, the facility said it will continue to ask guests with military-related backgrounds to sign the pledge, based on its philosophy of not tolerating war crimes. Israel has been engaged in a military conflict with Hamas-led Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and Israel since October 2023. 'GREAT EMOTIONAL STRESS' CAUSED According to sources, in mid-April, an Israeli man checked in at a guesthouse in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward and was asked to sign a form titled, "Pledge of Non-Involvement in War Crimes." The man was puzzled, but signed it and stayed at the facility for four nights, according to sources. The Israeli Eembassy learned of the incident, and in late April, sent a letter under the name of Gilad Cohen, the Ambassador of Israel to Japan, to Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki. Calling the incident discriminatory, causing great emotional distress and unacceptable, the embassy asked for an investigation by the prefectural government. After being contacted by the prefectural government, the Kyoto city government conducted an interview with the guesthouse. The city determined that signing the pledge is voluntary and does not violate the Hotel Business Law, which prohibits the refusal to accommodate guests except under certain circumstances. However, the city told the guesthouse that some people may feel it is discriminatory and inappropriate. Subsequently, in early May, the embassy sent a letter to Kyoto Mayor Koji Matsui, requesting a reinvestigation and appropriate measures be taken. In the letter, Cohen stated that the guesthouse's action is inconsistent with the spirit of Japan's 'omotenashi' hospitality, demanding the city take necessary measures to prevent it from happening again. The city government said it is considering its future response. Furthermore, Cohen on May 10 posted a statement on his X account, saying that he is 'deeply concerned.' 'This is a blatant act of discrimination against Israeli citizens and an unacceptable attempt to equate them with war criminals," he said. NOT JUST ISRAELI GUESTS SINGLED OUT In an interview with The Asahi Shimbun, the manager of the guesthouse said the facility has been asking some of their guests to sign the pledge for about six months. The guests asked to sign the pledge are those who are from 10 countries and regions—including Israel, Palestine, Russia and Syria—and have served in the military in the past 10 years. The manager said the facility determines which guests are eligible based on the decisions of the International Criminal Court and U.N. agencies. As to why, the manager cited its philosophy of not tolerating war crimes, as well as 'to ensure the safety and security of other guests and staff due to the nature of the facility, which has many shared rooms.' The manager said that even if guests refuse to sign the pledge, the facility will not refuse to accommodate them, and that it has never had anyone refuse to sign it, and that it has never refused to accommodate their guests. The manager stated that the guesthouse will continue to ask for signatures. 2ND SUCH INCIDENT IN LESS THAN A YEAR In June 2024, the Kyoto city government issued administrative guidance to the management company of a hotel in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward for violating the Hotel Business Law after the facility refused to accommodate an Israeli man because he might belong to the Israeli military. The Israeli Embassy also protested at that time, calling the incident discriminatory and unacceptable. (This article was written by Rika Hayashi and Miu Yamada.)
