Israeli family is refused holiday house

["John O'Neill" <johnfergaloneill@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Israeli family is refused holiday house
By Anne Lucey


 An Israeli citizen and his family have been refused holiday accommodation
in one of the leading self-catering holiday villages in Killarney, Co Kerry,
because of the Israeli government's treatment of the Palestinians.
Mr Arik Bender, a journalist and the parliamentary correspondent of one of
the biggest daily newspapers in Israel, Ma'ariv, contacted Mr Brian O'Shea
of Killarney Lakeland Cottages, Muckross, last week by e-mail to inquire
about self-catering accommodation. Mr Bender was seeking accommodation for
two families with children, numbering nine persons in all. The request was
for three weeks' accommodation for next summer.
Mr Bender received the following polite but firm reply from Mr O'Shea on
Friday last: "Dear Arik, We are sorry but we are not accepting bookings from
Israeli citizens due to the treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli
government. We realise and abhor the suicide bombings also but feel Mr
Sharon's policy is unwise, unhelpful and counterproductive.
"We pray both Palestinians and Israelis can come to a peaceful solution to
their conflict." Mr O'Shea explained he had thought about the matter over
the summer and had decided to take the stance.
"I don't agree with [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon and what he is doing to
the Palestinians," he said.
It was not something he had considered before and he may revise his opinion
if the situation changes for the Palestinians. He had not expected the
matter to go public and did not wish to comment at length on it.
Mr O'Shea said he was "absolutely not" anti-Jewish, and his decision not to
accommodate the Benders at his four-star self-catering accommodation was
based on political principle. Asked if this was not a poor business decision
in what was a bad year for tourism in Kerry, Mr O'Shea said: "There's more
to life than business."
Mr Bender said he was disappointed and upset at the reply and has now
decided to bypass Ireland and go to the Lake District or to the North of
England. He had decided to come to Ireland in the first place because he had
heard from many Israelis "that you have a wonderful country, and your people
are warm and welcome even to tourists from Israel."
There was an anti-Israel atmosphere all over Europe at the moment, Mr Bender
said. "But I was surprised to find it in someone working with tourists. They
should be more open.
"For us it is very sensitive to be told such a thing. My father is a
Holocaust survivor from eastern Europe. He was the only survivor of a family
of 10. My wife's family are Holocaust survivors."
In any case, Mr O'Shea could not possibly know whether or not he supported
Israeli government policy, Mr Bender said.
"Of course, there is nothing wrong with being against the Israeli government
policy. What is less legitimate or wrong is to be an anti-Israeli and not to
accept someone not because he is from the left or from the right, a
nationalist or a racist, but just because he is from Israel. It doesn't
smell good, and it reminds us of some dark days in Europe."
He had received 300 e-mail replies to inquiries about self-catering
accommodation in England, "and no one mentioned we are not welcome."
Mr Bender has now written to members of tourism organisations and
individuals in Kerry and asked: "Is it your policy not to accept Israelis,
or maybe it is because we are Jews?"
Mr Michael Courtney, chairman of Cork-Kerry Tourism and a town councillor in
Killarney, said there was no such policy. But it was entirely a matter for
Mr O'Shea as the individual owner of accommodation whom he wished or did not
wish to accept.



© The Irish Times





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