A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, Oct. 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco

An Israeli Woman Cancels Naples Hotel Stay After Hotel’s Automated Message Backs BDS “Genocide” Campaign

An Israeli woman canceled a planned business trip to a hotel in Naples, Italy, after receiving an automated booking confirmation touting the property’s support for a Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. She cited fears for her safety, in one of the latest incidents of Israeli and Jewish visitors facing boycotts across Europe.

According to a report by Israeli news outlet Channel 12, the woman had booked a room with her husband at the Decumani Hotel de Charme, located in the heart of Naples’ historic center, through Booking.com. She received an automated confirmation email stating that the hotel supports the “No Room for Genocide” campaign and “respects the freedom and human rights of communities suffering racial, ethnic, social, and other forms of discrimination.”

“We warmly welcome Palestinians, refugees and all those who peacefully oppose oppression and struggle for their internationally recognized rights,” the hotel message reads.

The “No Room for Genocide” campaign is run by BDS Italy, a local chapter of the broader BDS movement, which has distributed a toolkit urging hotels and tourism businesses across the country to include the message in reservation confirmations sent through Booking.com. The campaign discourages patronage by Israelis, whom it accuses of having served in the Israeli military and being suspected perpetrators of war crimes.

Founded in 2005, the BDS movement advocates for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel as a means of applying economic and political pressure over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Even though the hotel did not reject the woman’s reservation, she said the message made her feel unwelcome and raised concerns about her personal safety, prompting her to cancel the booking.

The hotel’s spokesperson vehemently rejected the reports, calling them “completely false” and stating that the property does not discriminate against guests based on nationality or identity.

“Israeli guests have always been welcome at Decumani Hotel de Charme,” the statement reads. “At no point have we ever refused an Israeli guest, cancelled a reservation because of nationality, or denied accommodation on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, or religion.”

“This is an automated message sent to every guest, regardless of nationality, together with practical information such as check-in procedures, reception hours, and parking instructions. The humanitarian statement included in that email simply reflects the values our hotel believes in,” it continues.

According to the spokesperson, staff have no way of knowing a guest’s nationality before check-in, since passport information is obtained only upon arrival — meaning the message could not have played any role in deciding whether to accept or reject a booking.

“We must also express our genuine surprise that a message centred on peace, human dignity, and respect for international law could be interpreted as a source of fear or insecurity for anyone,” the statement says. “Such an interpretation is entirely contrary to the purpose and spirit of the statement, which reflects values that we believe should be universal.”

This is not the first time Israeli and Jewish travelers have encountered similar incidents. In recent months, hotels and tourism businesses in several European countries have aligned themselves with BDS-backed initiatives, with some canceling reservations or publicly refusing service to Israeli visitors, as activists continue pressuring the hospitality sector as part of a wider effort to isolate Israel internationally.