When Hodaya Kleiner booked a family vacation in Tuscany through Booking.com, she did not expect to receive a message from the host addressing the war, settlements and her political positions. According to her, the host asked for her opinion on Israel’s policies and even offered to cancel the booking without a cancellation fee if she did not accept his views. “I was shocked,” she said. “I chose to ask him to cancel the holiday.”
Kleiner, who had planned the trip with her husband and daughters, said that after completing the reservation she received an unusual message. In the message, written in Italian and translated into Hebrew, the host wrote that he was “far from being antisemitic,” but asked to know her stance on Israel’s policies. He criticized Israel’s response to the October 7 attack, its settlement policy and recent actions, and made clear he wanted to understand the guest’s political views.
The host added that if Kleiner did not agree with Israeli government policy, she could cancel the booking without penalty. “I need to know your opinion on what your government is doing,” he wrote. “If you do not agree with your government’s policy, you are welcome. If you do agree, you know what I think, and if you want to cancel the booking, I will not charge a fee.”
“He basically told me he wants to know my political views and what I think about Israeli policy,” Kleiner said. “He of course wrote that he is not antisemitic in any way, but he wanted to know my views. I can come gladly if I am willing to condemn Israeli government policy, and if not, I am also welcome, but I should know that these are his views.”
She said what surprised her most was the demand to disclose her political position. “I am supposed to arrive with some kind of contract between me and the host, detailing all my opinions on policy, on the State of Israel and on other things. When I book on Booking.com, it is not enough that I leave a credit card as a deposit. I also have to arrive with my opinions in advance and tell him what they are.”
Despite the surprise, Kleiner decided not to respond to the host. One consideration, she said, was concern that any reply could lead to a dispute and ultimately result in cancellation fees being charged.
After the incident, Kleiner published a post on social media sharing the exchange with the host. “I wanted people to know that before they book a holiday, they might be asked ‘tell us what your opinions are,’” she said. “In my view, it is simply absurd.”
She later decided to file a complaint with Booking.com. “I decided to send a complaint to Booking after reviewing the company’s policy, which prohibits discrimination,” she said. “In my view this is discrimination against Israelis, or at least discrimination based on political views, when he does not even know what my views are. I asked them to deal with the issue using the tools at their disposal.” According to her, as of the time of the interview, she had not yet received a response.
Kleiner acknowledged that the incident increased fears she already felt as an Israeli traveling abroad at the current time. “I live in Israel and I know it is not easy for us in the world,” she said. “Precisely because his message was polite and seemingly moderate, it scared me more. If someone had written bluntly ‘Israelis are not welcome,’ it would be clear. But when everything is wrapped in politeness, it is even more troubling.”
Her main concern, she said, relates to her daughters. “They walk around speaking Hebrew, and I cannot play games with them and say ‘let’s speak English for a moment,’ or tell them that if someone asks where they are from, they should say Spain or something like that. That’s it. I am mainly worried about them.”