Israeli Tourist Denied Hotel in Naples Over Nationality Amid Rising Antisemitism

An Israeli tourist, Simcha Goldstein, was denied accommodation at the NAPOLI MOOD Il Golfo Apartments in Naples, Italy, after the owner explicitly refused service based on his nationality. Goldstein had booked the apartment through Booking.com, but after confirmation, the owner contacted him requesting he cancel the reservation, stating, "You can cancel the booking. I do not accept citizens of countries guilty of genocide." Goldstein reported that the owner directly linked the refusal to his Israeli citizenship.

Following the incident, Shai Glick, head of the "Bezalmo" organization, urged Booking.com to remove the apartment listing, condemning the act as national origin discrimination and a violation of the platform's terms of service. Booking.com issued a formal warning to the apartment owner, reminding them of the policy against discrimination and stating that further violations could result in additional sanctions. However, the listing remains active on the platform.

The incident occurred amidst reports of heightened anti-Israeli sentiment in Italy, including previous social media calls to track and expose the locations of Israeli and Jewish tourists. While authorities intervened to remove those posts, Jewish community representatives have expressed concern over increasing hostility towards Israelis and a rise in similar incidents.

Representatives for the NAPOLI MOOD Il Golfo Apartments did not respond to journalistic inquiries regarding the event.