Fury as Italian resort cancels Israeli couple’s reserving and tells them they’re ‘answerable for genocide’
- Patrik Ongaro, who runs the Garni Ongaro Hotel, has deleted his social media
An Italian hotel has sparked controversy by cancelling a booking made by an Israeli couple telling them they were ‘responsible for Genocide’.
Patrik Ongaro, who runs the Garni Ongaro Hotel, has now deleted his social media after being accused of antisemitism and is facing an investigation by authorities.
The Jewish couple, who have not been identified, leaked a screenshot of the message they received from the hotel in Selva di Cadore near Belluno, in the picturesque Italian Dolomites earlier this month.
It read: ‘Good morning, we inform you that the Israeli people as those responsible for genocide re not welcome customers in our structure.
‘Therefore, if you would like to cancel your reservation, you would be happy to do so and we will be happy to grant free cancellation.’
Details of the incident were revealed by Jewish groups in Italy and quickly shared online with the news dominating Israeli media who demanded an investigation by authorities.
Israel‘s embassy in Rome said it would raise the matter with PM Giorgio Meloni’s government.
Walter De Cassan, regional Dolomites president of the Italian Hotel Association, said: ‘I have received confirmation of the veracity of this incident form Isreal and as an organisation we condemn this action and disassociate ourselves from the hotel.
‘We have the duty to guarantee hospitality to everyone as far as possible.’
The Garni Ongaro hotel in Selva di Cadore near Belluno, in the picturesque Italian Dolomites
The Jewish couple, who have not been identified, leaked a screenshot of the message they received from the hotel
Regional governor Luca Zaia said: ‘I am deeply troubled by this and speechless by what’s happened.
‘I hope that it is not true because our local hospitality is nothing like this. I strongly believe that our tourist hospitality should be inclusive, apolitical and respectful of everyone. It is totally unacceptable.’
The couple, who are from Tel Aviv and who have not been identified, have passed on details of the incident to Israeli authorities but continued with their holiday in Italy.
Speaking to Italian media former Israeli ambassador in Rome, Dror Eydar said:’ I have been in touch with the government to as for concrete sanctions against this hotel.’
On one website the hotel description reads’ Exposed to the sun all year round with its own garden terrace and adjacent to a beautiful forest suitable for long summer walks and excursions with snowshoes in the winter.
‘The very quiet hotel is ideal to relax and forget the hustle and bustle and stress of work.’
On Friday the three-star hotel was unavailable on Booking.com – which gives it 8.5 out of ten – and its website was also down.
A recent review on Booking.com praised it as a ‘family run hotel with an ultra-friendly owner and in a perfect location’.
Before closing his social media Mr Ongaro posted a picture of himself sat on a tree stump and revealed he had ‘received threats from an unspecified Israeli organisation’
A recent review on Booking.com praised it as a ‘family run hotel with an ultra-friendly owner and in a perfect location’.
It added: ‘Breakfast choice covers exactly what I need and nothing in excess that would go to waste.
‘There is parking for motorcycles and for cars, all perfectly organized. And the views are amazing!’
A review on Tripadvisor said: ‘The owner was a really polite and nice man, he tries his best for his guests and is very hospitable.’
But the site added: ‘Tripadvisor has been made aware of recent media reports or events concerning this property which may not be reflected in reviews found on this listing. ‘
Before closing his social media Mr Ongaro posted a picture of himself sat on a tree stump and revealed he had ‘received threats from an unspecified Israeli organisation’.
He added: ‘This was following my refusal to accept Israeli clients as they are responsible for an act of genocide.
On Friday the three-star hotel was unavailable on Booking.com – which gives it 8.5 out of ten – and its website was also down
‘This doesn’t shock me but demonstrates that if we all did something, no matter how small we can make a difference and if certain people are made uncomfortable then it means they fear our actions.
‘Having said that, if something happens to me then you will know why.’
Several people had commented in support of him on Italian social media but one Palestinian activist Ihab Hassan condemned him.
He wrote on X: ‘I can only imagine the pain and sense of injustice I would feel if a hotel denied me a place to stay simply because of my identity, being Palestinian.
‘This is collective punishment. I have many Israeli-Jewish friends – people who travel around the world dedicating their lives to advocating for peace and coexistence, tirelessly working to end the war.
‘Refusing to host individuals based on nationality or identity is not only wrong it’s a violent discriminatory act that is both illegal and morally bankrupt.’
A Booking.com spokesperson: ‘We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind and in the rare event that we are alerted to discriminatory behavior from a property, we investigate immediately and will remove the listing from our platform, just as we have done in this instance.’
