A hotel manager in northern Italy has come under fire for denying a reservation from an Israeli couple, claiming that people from Israel are “responsible for genocide,” according to reports from a Jewish group in Venice. The couple had made a two-night reservation at the Hotel Garni Ongaro in the picturesque mountain village of Selva di Cadore for early November through the Booking.com platform.
Just one day ahead of their scheduled arrival, the couple received a communication from the hotel’s management stating, “Good morning. We inform you that the Israeli people as those responsible for genocide are not welcome customers in our structure.” The manager further suggested that the couple cancel their booking, assuring them that a free cancellation would be granted. Following the incident, the manager has disabled his Facebook account and could not be reached for further comment.
Dario Calimani, the president of the Jewish Community of Venice, expressed his deep disappointment regarding the manager’s disparaging remarks. He commented on the broader implications of such attitudes, stating, “When you don’t agree with what Israel does, you spread hatred against all Israelis.” The Israeli Foreign Ministry has taken interest in the incident, confirming it is looking into the matter. Additionally, measures are underway to request that Booking.com remove the hotel from its listings. An inquiry for comment has been sent to Booking.com.
Luca Zaia, the governor of the Veneto region, characterized the incident as “extremely serious,” sharing his distress over the situation. “I feel deeply disturbed and I’m shocked by what has happened,” he remarked. He emphasized that the Veneto region should be welcoming to everyone, regardless of their background.
This incident occurs amidst a troubling rise in antisemitic sentiments in Italy over the past year, particularly linked to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Reports indicate that such sentiments, including overt racism and discrimination against Jewish people, have escalated significantly. For instance, a mural in Milan honoring a victim of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack was vandalized last month. The Antisemitism Observatory in Milan has documented a surge from about 30 antisemitic incidents weekly to approximately 80 to 90 each week over the last year.
Coincidentally, the news of the hotel incident emerged on the same day that former hostages of Hamas and their families were meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Sharone Lifshitz, a former hostage’s daughter, weighed in on the situation. She pointed out that it is unjust to label all Israelis as supporters of the Israeli government, just as one would not label all Americans as representatives of their government. This tendency, she argued, is inherently tied to antisemitism.
Lifshitz continued, remarking, “Not all people agree with the current government of Italy, and yet I don’t think the people of Italy traveling the world would be subjected personally as individuals to the actions of their government.” She expressed her own disapproval of various actions taken by the Israeli government but insisted that this does not make her an agent of it. Her comments highlight a broader issue of the disconnect between individual beliefs and government actions, particularly regarding the Jewish community and the State of Israel.