Saudi observers say Shawwal crescent may be visible on Saturday    Tourism Ministry enforces closure orders, warns violators of penalties    King Salman, Crown Prince extend condolences to Thailand's king over earthquake victims    Elon Musk's xAI acquires X in all-stock deal    Makkah and Madinah mobile data usage exceeds global average during Ramadan: CST    US, Japan mark 80th anniversary of Iwo Jima battle with memorial service    Trump signals openness to auto tariff deal    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Trump renews push to acquire Greenland    Myanmar earthquake death toll climbs to 144    Over 2.5 million attend Khatm Al-Qur'an prayers in Makkah    World's largest barbershop opens at Clock Towers Center in Makkah to serve pilgrims    Saudi non-oil exports jump 10.7% in January    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    100 Thieves claim Marvel Rivals Invitational NA crown as 2025 scene heats up    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Saudi Arabia hold Japan to goalless draw in Saitama to stay in World Cup hunt    Disney's Snow White film tops box office despite bad reviews    NewJeans announces hiatus after setback in court battle    George Foreman, heavyweight champion and cultural icon, dies at 76    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Japanese hotel accused of canceling Israeli guest's reservation because of 'war crimes'
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 25 - 06 - 2024

A hotel in the Japanese city of Kyoto allegedly canceled an Israeli tourist's reservation because of "war crimes," drawing criticism from local officials who said it violated regulations.
The tourist received a Whatsapp message from an employee at the popular destination's Hotel Material telling him the booking scheduled for June had been canceled in response to the conflict in Gaza, according to the Israeli Embassy in Tokyo.
One message, confirmed to CNN, is said to have read: "We are sorry to inform you that, due to war crimes being committed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) members in the conflict taking place in Gaza between Israel and Palestine, we are not able to accept reservations from persons we believe might have ties to the Israeli army."
It's unclear why the hotel employee believed the person had ties to the Israeli army.
The traveler who received the WhatsApp messages made an initial complaint to the Israeli embassy in Tokyo. The person was able to make a new reservation at a different hotel in Kyoto and continued his trip as planned.
The Embassy accused the hotel of "a clear case of discrimination" when the news of the alleged incident went viral last week.
The hotel, which has not responded to multiple requests from CNN for comment, was also strongly reprimanded by Kyoto's city government, which accused it of breaching Japan's Hotel Business Act, which regulates the hospitality industry.
"Our position is to provide safe, secure, and high-quality accommodation for citizens and travelers, and we will respond strictly to situations that do not conform to this, such as this one," a representative for the Kyoto city government told CNN, adding that a city representative visited the hotel in person to inform them of the legal violation.
Ido Bromberg, a political counselor at the Israeli Embassy, told CNN that the person who allegedly sent the WhatsApp messages was a low-level employee at the Hotel Material, not its general manager, owner or director.
The Embassy has sent a formal complaint letter to the Japanese government, but Bromberg emphasized that there is no animosity between the two countries.
"We know that this is not a characteristic of Japan in general or the hotel industry in Japan," he said. "We know that the hospitality of Japanese hotels is excellent and extremely nice, so we hope that the hotel will take necessary measures to make sure this will not happen again, and with the specific employee."
"We see this as a very singular incident, and we hope it doesn't happen again."
Bromberg noted that there is a direct flight between Tokyo and Tel Aviv operated by Israel's national carrier El Al and says that Japan is a "favorable" destination for Israeli tourists.
The Israeli embassy says it would appreciate an apology from the hotel but will not pursue any legal action over the allegation.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants entered Israel via Gaza, taking about 250 people hostage in a violent terror attack that killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was "at war" shortly afterward. Since then, more than 37,000 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli military offensives, according to Gaza health authorities.
A United Nations inquiry this month found that both Israel and Hamas have committed war crimes amid the war in Gaza. — CNN


Clic here to read the story from its source.