The reason is that holiday homes in occupied Palestinian territories are specially marked
Anyone looking for temporary accommodation in the occupied West Bank through the Booking.com platform will in the future read, before making their reservation, that this is a “disputed, conflict-ridden” area and “significant risks” lurk. This was recently announced by the platform itself. Hoteliers and room owners express their indignation. Like the couple Zohar and Lital Eisenberg, who, after living in Mexico for twenty years, came to settle permanently in the Vered Jericho area, on the shores of the Dead Sea. There they opened a small pension with a Mexican color, with the characteristic name “Mi casa, tu casa”. Lital Eisenberg says she is of course Israeli, but she “feels Mexican”.
The news from Booking.com has alarmed her husband, who already sees tourism declining in the wider region. “Every day we had tourists here,” says Zohar Eisenberg. “We are retired, we have no other source of income. But with all this talk going on now our bookings have dropped significantly. We are talking about a reduction of more than 50%”.
“Boycott” from Booking.com?
The “discussion” that Zohar Eisenberg refers to is the announcement by the online booking platform Booking.com that in the future listings for hotels or rooms for rent in the occupied Arab territories will be accompanied by a special reference, pointing out that it is a “controversial region”. This applies to the Eisenbergs’ guesthouse built in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, but also to hundreds of other accommodations. It is as if the Booking.com platform is warning its customers that this area is not like all the others. Zohar Eisenberg argues that this amounts to an economic boycott. “We do not accept being given a negative evaluation, just because we are Jews, living in the West Bank,” he says. “It’s like they’re boycotting us. They are causing us huge problems.”
Israeli tourism minister Yoel Razvozov intervenes in the case, warning that the announcements of the Booking.com platform will not pass and that, if necessary, a “diplomatic war” will begin, with full coverage from Prime Minister Yair Lapid. “No private company will tell us which area belongs to Israel and which does not,” says Yoel Razvozov. “This decision is a scandal. We will start a diplomatic war to overthrow her and the prime minister is completely in agreement. This decision is not fair…”
The electronic platform is making a comeback
In the end, it appears that the political pressures have had the desired effect for Israel, at least in part. The Booking.com platform says that in the occupied Arab territories it will not display the travel warning it had originally announced, but simply a note for travelers “to be aware of the travel advice issued by their government for that area”. But even this solution does not satisfy hotelier Zohar Eisenberg. “Here we are struggling to survive financially,” he says. “This is in no one’s interest and that goes for both sides. And for us, but also for the Palestinians…”
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
