Eilat hotel warns Jewish guests on Muslim holiday

Magic Sunrise Eilat Photo: PR
Magic Sunrise Eilat Photo: PR

Magic Sunrise Hotel staff are suggesting Jewish customers reschedule vacations to avoid the Eid al-Fitr holiday, Channel 10 reports.

On its own initiative, the Magic Sunrise Hotel in Eilat, part of the Fattal Hotel Management Ltd. chain, is calling Jewish customers scheduled to vacation at the hotel this weekend, informing them that there will be "many Arabs" in the hotel on the weekend, and suggesting that they cancel or postpone their vacation at no cost, according to Channel 10.

The telephone calls initiated by representatives of the hotel are inspired by the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Ramadan fast month, which falls this year on Wednesday-Friday, July 6-8. The calls inform the Jewish customers that the hotel will be crowded with guests from the Arab sector, probably in order to avoid possible future complaints about this.

The hotel received previous complaints from Jewish guests, and its call to Jews with reservations are meant as a preventative action, meant to say, "Don't say we didn't warn you."

A recording of some of the calls by Channel 10 shows the hotel representative telling a Jewish customer, "It's a Muslim holiday. It will be crowded, that's for sure."

A representative of Fattal Hotel Management reservations center said, "We're informing the guests. It bothers some of them, while others don't care that there will be many Arabs at the weekend. Some guests are unconcerned, while others have told me, 'Thank you for telling me; you saved my vacation.' I inform the guests; it's important to tell them."

Fattal Hotel Management's official response to the Channel 10 report stated, "We are delighted to host all of our customers. When we celebrate a holiday of any sector that takes the hotel out of its routine, it is our duty to inform our guests. On Passover, for example, we inform the non-Jewish customers of the changes that take place at the hotel, and the same is true in this case."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 5, 2016

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2016

Magic Sunrise Eilat Photo: PR
Magic Sunrise Eilat Photo: PR
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