Israelis abroad give country a bad reputation

Israelis have made headlines for starting forest fires, camping in illegal areas, photographing themselves naked at sacred sites and staging an orgy in an archeological park.

From Cyprus to Turkey, through Thailand, Peru, the UK, India and many other destinations, the bad reputation of the Israelis almost always catches up with them. So much so that they are ranked fifth among the worst tourists in the world. 

Some hotels have an unofficial policy of refusing young Israeli tourists, while words such as "shameless, undisciplined, noisy, and demanding" said to be most common when describing travellers from the Jewish state.

Luxury car rental companies also suffer from Israeli mayhem. "One of my clients crashed a Bentley against a pole. He was driving at 150 km/h (93 mph) in the middle of town," says Philippe Sarfati, director of the online travel agency Booknow.co.il. 

It was only two years ago when the Abraham Accords normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. At that time, Israel's Foreign Ministry was informing future tourists of good practices in the Muslim country with strict rules. Then the first Tel Aviv-Dubai flights began.

Israeli Gil Gurevitch, who owns a kosher restaurant in Dubai, extensively documents on his Instagram account the excesses of his compatriots in the flagship tourist city of the Emirates. 

He reports, among other things, that their poor behaviour in nightclubs or in shopping centres attracts a good number of fines. And what about those who steal towels, hangers, kettles or even lamps from their hotel room? 

Stories of this type are legion in the UAE, but not only in the Gulf state. Wherever the Israeli tourist goes, the rules take a vacation. 

"Israelis have a certain natural nerve - their famous chutzpa - which stands out, even more, when they are abroad because it is a way of being that often clashes with local norms," notes Danielle, 30-years-old Israeli, who sometimes conceals her nationality when she travels. 

“I was recently in Italy, and one day I saw a group of Israelis arrive at the hotel where I was staying. By the time they gave them their rooms, they made a mess at the reception. The mothers were changing their babies on the armchairs, while the fathers were shouting at the older children who were running around. It was nonsense," she says. 

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The ugly Israeli: Are Israel's tourists the worst in the world? (Ynet)

Photo: Hebrew signage among tourism notices in Cusco, Peru (Deborah Stone)