A hotel in Japan said local authorities were under pressure from local authorities to declare that they had never committed war crimes after complaints from the Israeli ambassador.

Israeli Ambassador Gilad Cohen accused Kyoto of discrimination in an incident in April, demanding that Israeli tourists sign a promise that he has never "involved any war crimes that violate humanitarians and international law."

In an article on the weekend’s X, Cohen described the request as “a blatant act of discrimination against Israeli citizens, unacceptable attempts to equate it with war criminals.”

"I call on the Kyoto Municipal Government to resolve the case quickly," Cohen said.

“We believe that the Japanese authorities will continue to uphold the well-known values ​​of hospitality and respect in Japan and ensure that all visitors feel welcome and safe.”

Deeply concerned about the discriminatory incidents at Wind Villa Guesthouse in Kyoto in April, Israeli tourists were asked to sign a statement saying he did not commit war crimes.

This is a blatant act of discrimination against Israeli citizens, and it is also...

- Gilad Cohen 🇮🇱🎗️ (@GiladCohen_) May 10, 2025

Wind Villa's boss Ace Kishi said in an interview that he had no plans to change policies after investigations by Kyoto City authorities and rebukes by Israel's envoy.

About six months ago, he began asking guests to sign a commitment to deal with world events.

“I’m really worried about Russia’s attack on Ukraine and Israeli on Gaza,” Kirch told Al Jazeera.

“I just want to do something for our safety and the safety of our guests and express our differences on war crimes and international violations.”

Kich said so far, only four people have signed the promise - three Israelis and one Russian.

He said Israeli tourists in April were the first question to ask for it, although some guests were surprised by the document.

"For the most part, they have no objections, they look a little confused," Kich said.

"The last one is very confused and frustrated. But eventually he signed up and said he did not commit any war crimes."

In an interaction with Israeli tourists posted on X last month, Kich described the man as an otherwise pleasant guest and admitted to feeling "a little regretful of him."

"The promise made us very embarrassed, but he still greeted me every time we met."

"He even opened the door for me when I was holding my luggage. But he believed that what Israel was doing was absolutely right and thought I was brainwashed for criticizing it."

Given the number of troops deployed in the Gaza sector, the number of casualties there and the number of Israeli travelers abroad, it is statistically undeniable that those who commit war crimes are walking freely in major cities and tourist destinations in the world.

- Hotel Wind Villa (@Windvilla) May 1, 2025

The yet-unnamed Israeli tourist shared similar events with Israeli news outlets after his trip to Kyoto - although the Israeli report recommends that the commitment is a “condition for sign-in.”

"In the end, I decided to sign it because I had nothing to hide," the guest was cited as YNET News, which said visitors had worked as combat doctors in the Navy Reserve.

"The statement is correct - I did not commit any war crimes, and Israeli soldiers did not commit war crimes. I signed it because I didn't want to cause problems because there was no point in this form," he was quoted as saying.

Kyach said Kyoto tourism authorities visited the hotel several times to investigate after complaints from Cohen and the Israeli embassy.

"At least authorities from the city and the Japanese government do not believe this is a violation of the Hotel Act," Kirch said.

"They are just expressing their concerns and trying to convince us to change the measures. However, this is beyond their authority, so it's very indirect."

Kisch said he has adjusted the guaranteed wording to point out that it will not affect guests' eligibility to stay in Wind Villa to avoid further events.

He also clarified in an open letter to Cohen that the vow requires that "all guests identified by our hotel may participate in war crimes in this form" including guests from Burundi, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Mali, Myanmar, Myanmar, Myanmar, Palestine, Palestinian, Russia, Russia, Syria, Syria and Sudan.

According to Kishi, while Israeli guests booked his stay using rival Expedia.com, Booking.com has suspended accounts in the Flavor Village since the April incident.

On April 28, our hotel was suddenly suspended without any prior inquiry just three days after receiving a letter from the Israeli ambassador.
However, the Israeli guest in question used another booking website. pic.twitter.com/t9z2oj3ghf

- Hotel Wind Villa (@Windvilla) May 1, 2025

Kishi said Wind Villa's other accounts on booking sites including Expedia.com continue to remain in normal condition.

The Kyoto government and Israel at the Tokyo Embassy did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

The Japan Times quoted a city official as saying that the Wind Villa did not violate Japanese law, but was guaranteed to be "inappropriate".

Booking.com 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 the property so that we can investigate the matter further," a spokesperson said.

After a similar incident in Kyoto last year, a local hotel rejected the accommodation of an Israeli man because of his possible relationship with Israeli actions in Gaza.

According to reports from Japan's Kyodo News, the Kyoto hotels received verbal and written warnings for illegal operations in the city.

Japanese Foreign Minister Kawakawa told local media at the time that it was "unacceptable" to refuse accommodation in any hotel due to the guests' nationality.

"We hope that all tourists coming to Japan will be able to do all kinds of activities in Japan and feel safe," she said in a press conference.