Hilton International, the giant hotel chain, claims the omission of two Hilton hotels in Israel from its recently published Middle East edition of “Business Travelers’ Guide,” is a “must for doing business in the Arab countries,” it was reported in the latest issue of The Southern Israelite by Vida Goldgar, the editor’s publisher of the weekly newspaper in Atlanta, Ga.
The guide, a 40-page directory of information about Mideast countries and the services available in 10 Hilton hotels in the area does not include the Jerusalem Hilton or the Tel Aviv Hilton. Nor does an inside bock cover list of 76 Hilton International hotels world-wide include the Israel hotels, Ms. Goldgar reported.
“Does this mean that the Tel Aviv Hilton and the Jerusalem Hilton are mirages and do not exist?” That was the question asked Peter Mahler, Hilton International’s director of marketing for the Middle East after the Southern Israelite secured a copy of the guide.
Reached by telephone in Hilton’s New York headquarters, Mahler said, according to Ms. Goldgar, “This is produced (to be) widely distributed in the Middle East — not so much as for as Israel is concerned, but in the Arab countries — and we cannot distribute it listing the Israeli hotels.”
A MUST FOR DOING BUSINESS WITH ARABS
Mahler also reportedly said there was no similar guide printed by them which did list the Israeli hotels, but added that “there was such a demand for it we will have to reprint it.” He said Hilton is presently considering printing two separate booklets “one for distribution in the Arab hotels” and another “for the rest of the world.”
Pressed about the omission of Israel from a “Middle East” guide, Mahler said several times that it is common practice for international companies. “This is a must for doing business in the Arab countries. It wouldn’t get into the countries otherwise. It has nothing to do with us or the hotel company. “He was quick to exclude Egypt from the countries prohibiting mention of Israel. “We have no problems with Egypt,” he added. Both the Nile Hilton and the Ramses Hilton are listed.
Asked about distribution of the booklet in the United States, Mahler repeated that most of them were for the Middle East but said, “A very select number of travel agents which handle commercial accounts got them.”
CALLS IT ‘A SHAMEFUL PRACTICE’
Dov Kolani, director of the Israel Government Tourist Office for the Southeast, said he has not seen the booklet but had heard of it. Kolani said, “I am very surprised and disappointed to learn that Hilton International admitted the Israeli hotels from their publication. This is most regrettable because Hilton has two hotels in Israel which have a fine reputation with thousands of American travelers, both business and pleasure. This kind of business procedure should not be encouraged because who knows what will be next if individuals or corporations give way to unreasonable demands.”
Charles Wittenstein, Southern counsel for the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, called the booklet “a shameful practice.” He noted that the Hilton hotel chain “is one that we had previously held up as a model of an American company refusing to knuckle under to the Arab boycott and continuing to operate in Israel as well as in Arab countries.”
Wittenstein called upon the Hilton hotels “to cease the shameful practice of excluding its Jerusalem and Tel Aviv affiliates from their Middle East guide and to restore the company’s image that gained them so much respect in years gone by.”
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