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.