UN Official Urges Indonesia to Question Israeli Tourists in Bali Over War Crimes
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has urged Indonesian authorities to question young Israeli tourists in Bali over alleged war crimes, following a gym expulsion incident.
UN Official Urges Interrogation of Israeli Tourists in Bali
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, has called on Indonesian authorities to question young Israeli tourists visiting Bali regarding their potential involvement in war crimes. Speaking at an event in Jakarta, Albanese suggested that immigration officials at airports should screen travelers and hand over suspected soldiers to judicial authorities if evidence warrants it, while clarifying she is not advocating for the persecution of individuals based solely on their nationality.
Incident at a Bali Gym Sparks Controversy
The call follows an incident roughly two months ago where the owner of a gym in Bali was filmed expelling three Israeli tourists. In a widely shared video, the owner is heard telling the visitors, "You were in the IDF, so you are baby killers and you cannot enter here." In a subsequent video, the gym owner defended his actions, claiming one of the tourists acted disrespectfully toward the staff and reiterating a strict policy against serving former Israeli soldiers.
"We will continue to not provide service and not accept Israelis who served in the army," the gym owner stated in his follow-up video.
Broader Tensions and Online Backlash
The incident drew praise from pro-Palestinian online networks, while Israeli social media users retaliated by flooding the business's Google listing with negative reviews. This digital confrontation is part of a broader trend in Indonesia, where social media users have recently targeted Israeli content creators visiting the country, including travel blogger Ohad the Nomad, whose Instagram account was temporarily disabled following coordinated reporting campaigns.
