Booking.com said its terms of service forbid “any form of discrimination.”
By World Israel News Staff
Hospitality website Booking.com has removed listings for accommodations that refused to host Israeli travelers, after managers of a hotel and guesthouse said they would not accept guests from the Jewish State.
According to Hebrew-language media reports, an Israeli man and woman were both turned away from Booking.com properties due to their nationality, prompting the company to drop the businesses from its platform.
Booking.com confirmed in a statement that all properties listed on its site must agree to its terms, which include “an unequivocal commitment to prevent in any way discrimination.”
Among the properties removed were a hotel in Naples, Italy, and a guesthouse in Bosnia.
Channel 12 News reported that an Israeli woman, identified by her first name, Shir, booked a hotel in Naples but was bombarded with questions soon after making her reservation.
The property owner allegedly demanded that she confirm she had not served in the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza and that she did not support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Otherwise, she was told, she would not be welcome.
Shir called the incident “serious and unacceptable discrimination against Israelis.”
Ofek Levy, an Israeli man traveling in Bosnia, said that after telling a hostel clerk he was from Israel, the staff member slammed the gate in his face and denied him entry.
A separate case occurred in late August, when a woman from Rishon LeZion booked a hotel in Sicily.
Shortly afterward, the manager messaged her, expressing concern about “what is happening in Gaza.” The manager then demanded that she condemn the war against Hamas in order for her reservation to remain valid.
“If you believe your government is acting correctly, please cancel your reservation and find alternative accommodations,” the message read.
The woman canceled her booking and filed a complaint. Booking.com confirmed it is investigating the incident.
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