Israeli envoy urges responsible tourism among Israelis, warns of fake news

The Israeli ambassador to Thailand has acknowledged that some Israeli tourists have behaved improperly or illegally in Thailand, saying Israel is working with Thai authorities to address the problem.

She also warned against what she described as fake news and misinformation targeting Israelis.

Alona Fisher-Kamm told Thai PBS World in an exclusive interview that there is growing concern in Israel about the behaviour of Israeli tourists in Thailand and that her embassy has launched awareness campaigns in both Israel and Thailand to remind visitors of local laws, cultural sensitivities and acceptable behaviour.

“Israelis are not different from any other tourists,” she said, adding that she was particularly concerned about Israeli tourists because of her role as ambassador.

She said there is a significant cultural gap between Israelis and Thais and that Israeli visitors need to understand that behaviour acceptable in Israel might not be acceptable in Thailand.

The ambassador said she has held discussions with Thai authorities, including the governor of Surat Thani, because many incidents involving Israeli tourists have occurred on Samui and Pha-ngan islands.

At the same time, she expressed concern about what she said is a campaign of fake news and misinformation on social media, including reports attributing misconduct by other tourists to Israelis and claims about incidents that she said had never occurred.

She said the issue therefore has to be addressed on two fronts: dealing with genuine misconduct or illegal acts by Israeli tourists and countering misinformation that could fuel hostility towards Israelis.

Asked how the embassy distinguished misinformation from legitimate criticism based on actual incidents, the ambassador said the key was “truth”.

She acknowledged that many incidents reported in the media had indeed involved Israelis and that some constituted illegal acts.

Thai authorities, she said, should take action against such behaviour, adding that the embassy does not seek to protect Israelis who break the law and is cooperating with Thai authorities.

She added, however, that the embassy has evidence of cases in which Israelis have been wrongly blamed or in which images and claims circulating online were fabricated.

As an example, she referred to an image purportedly showing a Jewish-owned shop displaying a sign saying that Thais were not allowed to enter.

She said no such shop or sign existed and urged journalists to investigate the claim themselves.

She also cited cases involving tourists who were wrongly identified as Israelis, saying police reports have shown that the people involved were not Israeli.

“These are cases of misinformation and even fake news,” she said, adding that such reports were not legitimate criticism but could amount to incitement against Israelis.

On the distinction between criticism of Israel, criticism of Israeli nationals who break Thai law and antisemitism, the ambassador said Israelis who genuinely misbehave or break the law should be criticised and punished.

She said Israelis are concerned about the impact of such incidents on their country’s image and that the embassy is working with Thai authorities to determine how best to address the problem and communicate appropriate messages to Israeli visitors.

The ambassador said she does not consider antisemitism an established phenomenon in Thailand, describing it as something largely imported from other countries, while expressing concern about what she described as incitement against Israelis.

She said criticism of Israel and its government’s policies is legitimate as long as it is based on facts.

She drew a line, however, at questioning Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state or calling for the destruction of Israel.

“Everybody has the right to criticise the politics of Israel, as we have the right to criticise politics of any other country in the world,” she said.

The ambassador stressed that the overall objective is not to reduce the number of Israeli tourists visiting Thailand, but to promote responsible tourism while ensuring that Israeli visitors are welcomed and feel safe.

“We have the same goal,” she said, referring to cooperation between the embassy and Thai authorities.

“Our goal is not to reduce the number of Israeli tourists here. On the contrary, this is to promote tourism. Tourism should, however, be responsible.”

Asked about the demonstration held outside the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok today and growing concerns among Thais about Israeli visitors and residents, the ambassador said she had seen the protesters’ signs and heard some of their speeches.

She said many of the signs were directed against Israel and the United States, rather than specifically against Israeli tourists.

“I haven't seen too much resentment against Israeli tourists,” she said, adding that this raised several question marks for her about the demonstration.

By Phongsathat Sukhaphong