The manager of a small hotel in northern Italy recently refused a reservation made by an Israeli couple, citing Israeli people as 'responsible for genocide,' as reported by a Jewish organization in Venice. The couple had booked a two-night stay at the Hotel Garni Ongaro in Selva di Cadore through Booking.com. However, a day before their arrival, they received a message from the hotel stating that Israeli people, being deemed responsible for genocide, were not welcome as customers.
The hotel manager offered the tourists a free cancellation of their reservation and subsequently closed his Facebook profile. The incident drew criticism from Dario Calimani, the president of the Jewish Community of Venice, who expressed sadness over the ignorance displayed by certain individuals, emphasizing that disagreement with Israeli policies should not lead to hatred against all Israelis.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has launched an investigation into the matter, and efforts are being made to have the hotel removed from the Booking.com platform. Veneto region governor, Luca Zaia, condemned the incident as 'extremely serious' and stressed the importance of keeping doors open to all visitors.
Antisemitism in Italy has been on the rise, with incidents of racism and discrimination against Jews increasing, particularly in the context of the conflict in Gaza. The Antisemitism Observatory in Milan reported a significant uptick in such incidents over the past year.
Meanwhile, a mural in Milan depicting a survivor of an attack by Hamas on Israel was recently vandalized. The incident at the hotel coincided with a meeting at the Vatican between former hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and Pope Francis.
Sharone Lifshitz, responding to the incident, highlighted the unfairness of associating all Israelis with the actions of the Israeli government, likening it to judging all Americans based on the actions of the U.S. government. She emphasized the need to differentiate individuals from the state and pointed out the connection between antisemitism and the inability of many to make this distinction.
