Netanya Hotel Evicts Family of Autistic Teen, Prompting Tourism Ministry Inquiry

A family vacation for Iris Tzabar and her 14-year-old son Uriel ended abruptly in a distressing incident. After the teenager, who is on the autism spectrum, shouted in the lobby of a Netanya hotel, his mother and her children were ordered to pack their bags and leave. Following the exposure of the incident, the Israel Ministry of Tourism has intervened, demanding immediate answers.

Prior Notification Ignored

Tzabar had actively tried to prevent this scenario. During the booking process, she informed the hotel staff that her son was on the autism spectrum and explicitly asked if his stay would cause any issues. According to Tzabar, the hotel staff reassured her, stating there would be "no problem at all." She embarked on the vacation confident that her son would be met with understanding.

For the first two days, the stay proceeded without incident. However, on Friday, the atmosphere shifted abruptly. Uriel began shouting in the lobby, though his mother emphasized that he did not attack anyone, touch any objects, or cause any damage.

Tzabar recalled:

"He didn't touch anything, didn't raise his hands, and didn't destroy a thing. He just shouted. I wanted to take him up to the room to calm down, but before I could, the receptionist manager started screaming at me, threatening to sue me for one hundred thousand shekels, claiming the child was terrifying all the customers and demanding we get out of the hotel."

Confrontation in Front of Children

The harsh confrontation took place in front of the children. According to Tzabar, none of the guests present in the lobby complained about the boy's behavior.

"My children and my friend's children were crying, but he did not care at all. Everyone else understood it was a sensitive situation and that the child was just having an episode. But the reception manager decided on his own that the customers were scared and threatened us."

To de-escalate the situation, Tzabar took the children to their room. She even agreed to avoid taking her son to the dining room, opting to eat in the room after being told his shouting might frighten other guests.

Shortly after, the reception manager called her to apologize, explaining his behavior by claiming that "important people" were scheduled to arrive at the hotel, adding: "We have no problem with children with special needs."

Eviction and Official Intervention

Tzabar believed the crisis had passed, but then the final incident occurred. When she went down to the lobby again with Uriel, he called out "Mom!" loudly. According to her, the reception manager erupted once more, ordering the family to leave immediately.

Upon returning home, Tzabar requested a refund. The hotel refunded the payment for the two remaining days of their stay but offered no further compensation.

Following the publication of the incident on the "Shavim" website, the hotel sent an apology letter in which the reception manager claimed he had no intention of causing harm. However, the matter did not end there. The Director-General of the Ministry of Tourism, Michael Yitzhakov, contacted the Director-General of the Israel Hotel Association, Hagar Shiran, demanding an inquiry with the hotel's management.

In an official letter titled "A grave incident of distress and inappropriate treatment of a family with a special needs child in a hotel," Yitzhakov described the case as "severe and outrageous."

Michael Yitzhakov stated:

"A family with a special needs child, who paid their hard-earned money for a vacation in an Israeli hotel, experienced shameful, insensitive, and exclusionary behavior from the hotel staff—to the point where they were prevented from vacationing with dignity. Children with special needs and their families are entitled to respectful hospitality and a sense of security, not humiliating and discriminatory treatment."

The Ministry of Tourism Director-General demanded not only an investigation into the specific hotel but also systemic conclusions for the entire hospitality industry.