They wanted to book, with Airbnb, an apartment in San Vito di Cadore (Belluno). The father of the family, who is from Nes Ziona, not far from Tel Aviv, and was planning a holiday in Italy, then sent the request to the owner: "We are a family of five and we would be happy to stay in his apartment." The response, according to the Israeli website Ynet, was: "You can stay in the gas ovens", written in Hebrew. A clear reference to the method used by the Nazis to exterminate the Jews during the Holocaust, resulting in the cancellation of the reservation.
«The matter is incredible, in many years I have never heard a person from the town say phrases of this type»: the mayor of San Vito di Cadore, Franco De Bon, who in any case has already activated the Digos, is indignant but also perplexed and the postal police. "If the news is confirmed - he adds - the necessary measures will be taken to ensure that something like this never tarnishes the fame of the Dolomite resort again". For the president of Veneto Luca Zaia, it is "an extremely serious gesture", an "unacceptable act of hatred and discrimination which harms not only the dignity of the people involved but also the fundamental values of our community" if "the published news". But "the gesture of an individual - he concludes - will certainly not prevent us from guaranteeing that Veneto remains a land of welcome and respect for all".
Statements and messages of solidarity with the family, together with sentences condemning what happened, came from all political parties.
AIRBNB: «A MISUNDERSTANDING» – It was «an unfortunate mistake on the part of the host», because that message «was not intended for them, but for another guest who was staying in the structure and who was asking for information on how to use an appliance» . Airbnb claims this and, after launching an internal investigation, suspended the host. «When the guest sent a message to the host asking to book their property, the host, in fact, was having a conversation conversation with another guest staying in his home regarding the use of the gas stove in the property - he explains in a note - The host mistakenly sent a stove instruction to the guest who had just requested the reservation rather than to the recipient correct, the guest he was currently helping.” Regardless of the circumstances, “we recognize that this was a deeply unpleasant experience for the guest who received the message and we have been in contact with them to provide our support. We are also in contact with the host." “We do not tolerate discrimination, we take reports seriously and we continue to strictly enforce this policy,” concludes Airbnb.
