Seruil Fogel, a 24-year-old Haredi Jewish man from New York, found a pop-up message reading "Free Palestine" on the television in his room at a Travelodge hotel in London. The incident happened at the London Manor House Travelodge in north London, where the TV switched on and displayed a welcome screen saying, "Welcome Guest - Free Palestine." Fogel was in Britain for a wedding.
Travelodge, the British hotel chain, apologized to the Jewish guest after the message appeared on what it described as a greeting screen in his room. The episode triggered outrage in the Jewish community and prompted an internal investigation as well as a police review.
The event was recorded on video and published by the Jewish security organization Shomrim. The footage shows the television powering on and the message appearing on the screen. The hotel and authorities have not publicly detailed how the message was generated, but the chain is now examining the case.
