Israeli tourists are constantly on edge, well aware that in many countries locals take exception to the whole murder, torture, and genocide thing.
Perhaps it’s unfair to judge individuals by the actions of their government, but whatever the case, Israelis on vacation often have to contend with notices outside restaurants, bars, and hotels explicitly saying “Israelis not welcome“.
People of Greece protest as cruise ship of Israeli tourists arrives.
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) October 2, 2025
The shouted “FREE PALESTlNE” and hurled objects at the bus they got on. pic.twitter.com/pombocKQ9m
This has manifested in videos of unhappy Israelis being ejected from bars, other customers cheering wait staff calling out Israel’s crimes, and, in a particularly high-profile incident, a cruise ship full of Israelis arriving at a Greek island being met by angry locals who absolutely did not want them there.
The situation is complicated by Israeli citizens being compulsorily conscripted into the IDF, meaning that whether individual Israelis have committed atrocities or not, anyone of a certain age can be assumed to have fulfilled some kind of role in this murderous occupying force.
hotel in Japan made Israeli tourist sign a declaration pledging not to rape or murder before allowing him to stay there pic.twitter.com/YUBcG7XUNu
— LPC (@landpalestine) May 14, 2026
But a Kyoto hotel may have figured out an innovative (if controversial) solution. As of a year ago, The Wind Villa guesthouse has been asking guests to sign a pledge explicitly confirming that they have “never been involved in any war crimes that violate international law”, and specifically that they have never engaged in attacks on women, children, and prisoners of war, that they haven’t tortured anybody, or exposed anyone to sexual violence.
“Deeply concerned”
It concludes with asking them guest to take a vow that they will “never engage in war crimes in any form”. You would think that this would be a fairly easy promise to keep, but the Israeli Ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, said that a ban on people who’ve committed war crimes is a “blatant act of discrimination against Israeli citizens”.
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.
— Gilad Cohen 🇮🇱 (@GiladCohen_) May 10, 2025
This is a blatant act of discrimination against Israeli citizens and an…
The owner, Ace Kishi, clarified that his policy applied to all guests from countries involved in conflicts and that despite a rebuke from the Kyoto authorities, he had no plans to stop using it, that it was ultimately voluntary, and, as of May 2026, as far as we can tell, the policy remains in force.
A recent review praises the guesthouse and its owner, saying:
“Wind Villa has taken a bold stand for humanity. By refusing to accommodate individuals associated with war crimes, Wind Villa is upholding the values of justice, dignity, and peace. This isn’t just about business—it’s about moral responsibility. In a time when silence enables impunity, Wind Villa chose courage. That deserves respect.”
Well, I know where I’m staying the next time I’m in Kyoto!
Published: May 15, 2026 06:17 am