Drunken Brawls, 'Misbehaving' Israeli Tourists Ruin Island Vibe In Siargao, Philippines

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Siargao, an island off the coast of Mindanao, boasts of white sand beaches, calm coves, turquoise waters and curling waves that make it the top surfing destination in the Philippines. The peaceful and laidback vibe, however, is being disturbed by some young, fresh-from-war Israelis who arrived on the island displaying arrogant behavior that rubs locals and other foreign tourists the wrong way, residents complained.

Drunken brawls, arrests, immodesty in public places, and littering on beaches are some of the incidents documented by non-government organisation Project Paradise, following complaints this month against some Israeli tourists disrespecting local traditions and values.

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The Israeli tourists arrived on the island looking to unwind after completing their compulsory military service in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon. Some of them have created rackets in bars when drunk, committed dangerous driving, displayed immodesty in public places, and littered on beaches and in the islands' conservation zones, said Sofia Nicole de Asis, Project Paradise founder and president.

De Asis noted her organisation is not after Jews, but misbehaving tourists.“[O]ur mission is not to police identity, but to promote coexistence, responsibility, and respect for the island. Our focus is on behavior, not background,” she underscored.

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Aside from those documented by Project Paradise, there have been more incidents involving visiting Israelis of late. An online video by tourism website TripZilla shows a drunken Israeli tourist shouting at a local watering hole, giving others obscene hand gestures.

Another recent incident involved two Israelis who jumped from a bridge into a river, a prohibited caper in the island. The two were arrested by the island police.

A rabbi in the island, Mendel Spindler, rushed to their aid and tried to spring the two offenders from jail. He justified their misdemeanor by saying there was no sign informing visitors that jumping from the bridge was prohibited. Spindler also reportedly said the two Israeli tourists saw others doing it.

Spindler said the two tourists were being made examples for what he describes as“anti-Israel and antisemitic hostility,” with ugly messages sent through his social media page, such as“Heil Hitler.” Curiously, the rabbi considers“Free Palestine!” as another“ugly message.”

Trauma-dumping on locals

Philippine newspaper Manila Times quoted a 24-year-old Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel who said:“We come for fun, quiet, and rest, especially after the war [on Gaza]... We are all soldiers, so after our service we come for vacation.”

Siargao locals, however, are the ones bearing the brunt of the Israeli ex-soldiers'“trauma-dumping”. There have been various reports of Israeli tourists not paying for their food and behaving arrogantly, such as calling Filipinos“slaves.” These offenses are shared on social media sites such as the Siargao Business Association Facebook page.

The Israeli tourists become even more bad-tempered when they see“Free Palestine!” stickers on public places, even on laptops of other tourists from other countries. They have instigated brawls, injuring locals and immediately leaving the island when police investigations start. One ex-IDF tourist reportedly bragged:“We kill all Palestinians!”

Locals have started demanding a ban on Israeli tourists, including Spindler's plan to build a Chabad House –a Jewish community center operated by the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement.

'Arrest them'

Not wanting to ruin close diplomatic ties with the Philippines, Israeli Ambassador to Manila Dana Kursh told Philippine authorities to arrest Israeli tourists who misbehave, following viral reports of their misconduct in Siargao.

Distancing her government from any instinct to shield misbehaving compatriots, Kursh said visitors are bound by the laws and limits of the place that agreed to host them.

The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI), meanwhile, promised to impose sanctions on law-breaking international tourists. BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said that the Philippine government is monitoring the movements of misbehaving Israeli nationals in Siargao.

Sandoval added:“We have seen the posts on social media and we are taking reports about foreign nationals very seriously. Foreigners found to be violating immigration laws will definitely face sanctions. If found to have violated immigration laws, violators may face deportation and blacklisting.”

How to report misconduct

Meanwhile, TripZilla urged residents and business owners who experienced harassment not to stay silent but to follow the following steps to ensure their complaint is handled properly:

Gather evidence. Take clear photos or videos of the incident as it happens. Ensure you have visual proof of the misconduct or environmental neglect.

Identify the individuals. Try to take note of the nationality and any identifying details of the foreign nationals involved.

Document the details. Write down the exact time, date, and location of the incident to make your report more credible.

Visit the BI field office. File a formal report at the nearest Bureau of Immigration field office.

Contact the Department of Tourism's regional office to ensure the complaint is documented and shared with the relevant embassy.

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