On Roof of the World, New Sign: Israelis Are Not Welcomed Here

Israeli music plays in the background. The waiters greet the customers, “Erev tov, Shabbat Shalom.” Homestyle dishes on the menu include falafel, schnitzel and humus and menus are frequently in Hebrew.

But locales like the Abu Rami restaurant here, where Israelis had long felt welcome, are becoming more and more scarce in Nepal, one of the most popular destinations among young Israeli travelers.

Drawn by the challenge of trekking in the spectacular serenity of the Himalayas, thousands of Israelis just beyond their army service flock to Nepal each year. But many, excited by the prospects of traveling abroad and seeing the world, are finding that a bad reputation has preceded them.

After a host of bad experiences in which Israelis have been accused of at best disrespect and rudeness and worse violence and theft, Israelis are finding it impossible to change their image here and are no longer wanted in this friendly country.

Iris Alfoar and Vered Lichter, both 22, were refused accommodations several times on the Annapurna Circuit trek, which has been most popular with Israelis.

Two incidents allegedly initiated by Israelis resulted in melees and have clouded the reception for Israelis.

“We had been walking all day,” recalled Alfoar, who lives in Tel Aviv. “We finally reached a village and asked at a guest house for a room. The owner asked us where we were from. We said `Israel,’ and he told us there was no room available.”

The two women, who ultimately found accommodations at another lodge, later learned that a Dutch couple who had arrived after them were given a room in the first guest house.

“I would like to say that this is anti-Semitism, but I know that it isn’t,” said Alfoar.

“The Nepalese, especially those in the villages, don’t know anything about Judaism, or even the political situation in Israel. They only know about Israelis from the ones that come through here, and unfortunately a few bad incidents have ruined it for all of us.”

Alfoar thinks that this treatment is unfair.

“The Nepalese are generalizing about all of us, based on the actions of just a few. From every country there are bad tourists and good tourists. I don’t understand why they single out Israelis for this kind of treatment,” she said.

“Guest house owners did not believe me when I said that I was Israeli,” said Oren Golan, who came to Nepal with his American cousin.

“They would tell me, `You’re too nice to be Israeli,’ or `You order too much food to be Israeli.'” But the 25-year-old Givatayim resident is not the typical Israeli traveler in Nepal.

Golan waited until after finishing his bachelor’s degree before heading to the Far East. He also chose to trek with a group of people from different countries, as opposed to the usual Israeli method of keeping to only Hebrew- speaking company.

“The average Israeli in Nepal is very young,” said Ilan Maor, second secretary to the Israeli ambassador to Nepal.

“Most Israelis are released from the army, work a few months and then come straight to the Far East. This is the first time in their lives that they are free to do whatever they want.

“And because they are in a foreign country, they act as they never would in their own homes,” Maor explained.

Both Israelis and Nepalese acknowledge that cultural differences account for some of the problems. Both also concur that a clash is inevitable because the brash, loud nature of Israelis is perceived as obtrusive by the meek and polite Nepalese.

Another explanation of Israeli behavior in Nepal is that the young men recently released from the army are still caught up in the macho military culture in which they have been immersed for the past three to four years.

Israelis in Nepal are known to constantly compete with one another, to prove who can push himself the furthest, carry the heaviest backpack, and climb the mountain the fastest. This kind of conduct is seen as the antithesis of the Asian religions, which promote non-violence and tranquillity.

But it goes beyond cultural differences, according to Subash Rai, who has worked predominantly with Israelis in his two years in the tourist business.

“I have been trekking when Israelis stop and urinate on our stupas (religious monuments), knowing that they are of religious significance for us,” said Rai.

“They simply don’t respect our customs or our culture.”

Amar K.C., a student who works as a trekking guide during vacations from university, agreed.

“One hundred percent of Israeli people, I don’t like,” he said. “They complain about everything. They are never satisfied. They come here and act as if this is their country. They are stingy with their money. They lack dignity and character.”

When asked if he would ever work with Israelis again, the guide said, “I promise you no.”

He went on to say that he often gave Israelis wrong directions while trekking, just because he disliked them so much.

This sentiment was echoed by a guide who leads rafting groups, the majority of which are Israeli.

“I’ve been working for this company for four years,” said Bim Gurung, 21. During that time he has learned a fair amount of Hebrew and can sing Israeli songs.

But despite his ability to yell rafting commands in Hebrew, he thinks he will seek employment with another agency next year.

“Four years is enough,” he said. “I always have problems with them. They never listen to instructions and they refuse to wear life jackets. I’m tired of working with them.”

But unruly behavior is a minor charge, in comparison with the more serious ones of stealing or refusing to pay.

“I went trekking as a porter, with one Israeli for nine days,” said Suk Bahadur B.K. “He paid me three days in advance and said he’d pay me the rest after the trek. After I carried all of his things for nine days, he told me that he had no more money and could not pay me for the six days that he owed me.”

Mistrust of Israelis is most pervasive in the guest houses along the Annapurna Circuit trek, a three-week trek that is most popular among Israelis.

Lale Baha, who has worked as a trekking guide for seven years, said there is good reason why some guest houses bear signs saying, “No Israelis allowed.”

Over the years, he said, he has seen numerous “tricks” that Israelis are famous for while trekking, from leaving without paying to stealing bedsheets.

“Is it any wonder the guest houses don’t want to give them rooms?” he asked.

But Maor of the Israeli Embassy countered that the majority of Israelis coming to Nepal each year cause no trouble.

Of course, said Maor, in a group of 5,000 or 6,000 people, “there are going to be 50 or 60 who might cause problems. And it is not our job to make excuses for them.”

“But it is a very sensitive area for us,” he continued. “Luckily these incidents have not affected our dealings with the Nepalese government.

Nepal was the first country in the region to establish ties with Israel. The two countries have enjoyed friendly diplomatic relations since 1961.

“But it is no less important to have good relations with the people of Nepal,” Maor said.

The Israeli Embassy has made an effort to educate Israelis about Nepalese traditions and customs before they arrive in Nepal.

A letter from the embassy appears in the Hebrew edition of the most widely used guidebook, “The Lonely Planet,” warning Israelis to be respectful of the Nepalese, and the issue has been covered in the Israeli press.

“Most Israelis have no idea that their behavior is seen as so disruptive, and if they cause problems, it is unintentional,” said Maor.

Some Israelis have tried to change their negative image by staying longer and teaching English, for example, but these efforts remain overshadowed by the negative incidents.

“I could very well say that 90 percent, if not more, of the Nepalese people do not like Israelis,” said Lama, “and there is no other nationality I could say that about.”

Maor conceded that to change the Nepalese mind-set will not be easy, if at all possible.

“It is very difficult to undo the damage that has been done,” he concluded.