‘Zionist-free zone’: Israelis are increasingly unwanted at global tourism sites

An outdoor art installation in Paris last month calling for Israel to be banned from the upcoming Paris Olympics, like Russia

Eitan Leshem reports in Haaretz on 15 July 2024:

During the nine months of war the Israeli tourist experience abroad has been marked by fears of antisemitism and efforts to avoid pro-Palestinian demonstrations. According to reports by Israeli media and posts online, some of those worries have recently turned real for a number of Israeli tourists.

Anecdotal incidents at touristic locations around the world are making it clear that even though there is no official policy of excluding Israelis, that is sometimes the situation on the ground.

An especially bumpy week began on June 17 at the Material Hotel in Kyoto, Japan, when an Israeli named Alex was informed that his reservation had been canceled due to the allegations of Israeli war crimes in Gaza.  The Material told Alex that it was “not able to accept reservations from persons we believe might have ties to the Israeli army,” as reported by Israeli website Ynet.

The story made the rounds on social media, produced a stern protest letter from Israel’s ambassador in Tokyo, and led to a rebuke by the Kyoto municipality that the hotel had breached Japanese business law and must ensure that such a transgression won’t happen again.  The Japanese foreign minister called the case unacceptable and made clear that Israelis were welcome in Japan.

The situation is similar to that of Russian tourists, who are officially banned from Norway, for example.

The controversy continued on June 22 at the Novotel de la Porte de Versailles hotel in Paris. A receptionist refused to offer a room to Arab Israeli Mahmoud Omari, his wife and their 3-year-old daughter. Omari told the French media that a first receptionist actually was polite, but a second one refused to give the family a room.First he jacked up the price, then he claimed that no rooms were available, even though Omari showed the reservation he had made on a booking site. That didn’t prevent the receptionist from calling the police so he could throw the family out onto the street at 1:30 A.M.

This story also ended with an apology. The CEO of the Accor chain that owns Novotel apologized, sent Omari compensation and even gave the family a free night, albeit in Zurich.  Omari asked the CEO to ensure that this wouldn’t happen again; the CEO told the French media that a thorough investigation was indeed underway.

Greek island affair
But the next day the steady drip continued, this time on the Greek island of Kefalonia, when an Israeli tried to book a trip with the company Sea Kayaking Kefalonia. The company asked her to attach photos from her Facebook account, and she received an email stating that Sea Kayaking Kefalonia wouldn’t serve her “due to the situation.”

When she asked which situation the company was referring to, she was told “the war in Gaza” – and the staff wouldn’t discuss the subject further. A few days later, the company apologized and offered her a free trip.

These are all individual cases, but we’ve also seen a blanket ban on Israelis – by the Maldives. The government cited the war, but it’s now looking into the matter more closely after discovering that 20 percent of Israel’s citizens are Arabs.

And this month, businesses have been declaring that they won’t serve Israelis (or “Zionists”). The Oveja Negra vegan restaurant in Madrid posted a “Zionist-free zone” sign and declared on Instagram that anyone who didn’t notice the genocide in Palestine, as it put it, shouldn’t go through its doors.

Last month, Moski’s Sandwich and Juice Bar in Edinburgh, Scotland, also declared that it was a “Zionist-free zone.” Pro-Israel activists called for a boycott of the venue; they even turned to Uber Eats to get Moski’s to remove the sign. Still, it appears that more and more businesses around the world will be declaring that they don’t accept Israelis – okay, Zionists – as long as the war drags on.

A video that has racked up tens of millions of views online details the plight of an Israeli couple and their two children. The four were sitting in one of those famous cafés right on the railroad track in Hanoi, Vietnam, until the owner asked them to leave.

That launched a clash on social media on questions of justice and discrimination.

Russia tourists
A similar situation, however unflattering the comparison for Israelis, is happening to Russian tourists. They’re officially banned from Norway and are condemned as agents of evil around the world. So they’ve given up some of their favorite vacation spots – and have found creative solutions to fill the void.

Turkey has become a haven for Russians; Turkey’s tourism authorities expect 6 million Russians to visit the country this year. Thailand, whose tourism industry is having a hard time recovering from the pandemic, will take in just about any tourist. Last year, 1.4 million Russians visited the country, whose visa policy for Russians is generously flexible and long.  Last month, a group of Russian tourists even visited North Korea, launching a new travel destination for the adventurous seeking a glimpse into Kim Jong Un’s hermetically sealed dictatorship.

It’s not pleasant to be refused service because of your country, and it’s certainly not pleasant to suffer similarities with Russia. But Israeli tourists have to realize that it’s a whole new world out there.

This article is reproduced in its entirety