Lead

A 120-year-old family-run hotel in the Bavarian town of Lam, near the Czech border, is facing sharp criticism and a police investigation after sending an Israeli family a booking rejection that read: "Sorry, there are no Jews allowed in our hotel." The message, sent through Booking.com on June 2, was widely condemned by Israeli and German officials, prompting the hotel to apologize and offer the family a free one-week stay.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from Deutsche Welle and the Jerusalem Post both confirmed the core facts: the Israeli family received the message, the hotel was removed from Booking.com after the family filed a complaint, and the Regensburg Criminal Police have opened an investigation. According to the hotel's junior director, Andreas Vogl, the message does not reflect the establishment's "world view at all." The hotel's apology, reported by both outlets, attributed the incident to frustration over fraudulent bookings and phishing attempts, saying the Israeli request was wrongly assumed to be fake.

However, the coverage differs in emphasis. Deutsche Welle, a German public broadcaster, focused on the apology and the hotel's explanation, quoting Vogl and the apology letter. The Jerusalem Post, an Israeli English-language daily, gave more weight to the reactions from Israeli officials and Jewish community leaders, including Israel's consul general to Southern Germany, Talya Lador, who asked, "Are we back in the 1930s?"

Key Claims

  • The Israeli family received a booking rejection from Hotel Zum Hirschen that included the phrase "there are no Jews allowed in our hotel," as reported by multiple sources.
  • The hotel was removed from Booking.com after the family filed a complaint.
  • The hotel apologized, claiming the message was a mistake stemming from ongoing fraudulent bookings and phishing attempts on their Booking.com account.
  • The Regensburg Criminal Police have opened an investigation into the incident, per the Upper Palatinate Police Headquarters.
  • Talya Lador, Israel's consul general to Southern Germany, responded on X with, "Have we returned to the 1930s?" and added that "Antisemitism is not a Jewish problem. It is not an Israeli problem. It is a danger to democracy in Germany."
  • The Central Council of Jews in Germany has called for an investigation into the incident.

Perspectives

The hotel's management has apologized and offered the family a free one-week stay, insisting the remark was "made out of frustration at the numerous fake bookings" and was not directed at Jewish people. "It is extremely important to us that you understand that this remark was not directed at people of the Jewish faith," the apology letter read, adding that "this was unacceptable and must not happen in a professional business."

Israeli officials and Jewish community leaders have responded with alarm. Lador's comment echoed a broader concern about rising antisemitism. Charlotte Knobloch, President of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, told the Jerusalem Post, "In the end, it is almost secondary whether the author sent it out of hateful intent or simple thoughtlessness, because either way it describes the reality of many Jewish people, not only Israelis. The dehumanizing statement 'No Jews allowed' cannot be justified under any circumstances."

Context

The incident comes at a time when antisemitic offenses in Germany have been on the rise. According to figures cited by the Jerusalem Post, over 6,200 antisemitic offenses were recorded in Germany in 2024, including 173 violent crimes. The Central Council of Jews in Germany's call for an investigation underscores the seriousness of the matter, with the council describing the remark as "unacceptable" even after noting the hotel's apology.