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Israeli envoy calls for enforcement of local laws on foreign tourists

Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Dana Kursh on April 23, 2026, calls for strict enforcement of local laws for foreign tourists amid reported incidents involving Israelis in Siargao, while urging the public and media not to generalize isolated cases.

VIDEO BY FRANCO JOSE BAROÑA

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Transcript
00:01Even in the Israeli movement, which is the behavior of Israeli tourists in Sharada, or the alleged behavior of Israeli
00:08tourists in Sharada.
00:10Let me first and foremost start by saying,
00:14the Israeli tourist who is misbehaving. The relevant authorities should inflict any laws because they need to enforce the law.
00:30Because we are Western and the Philippines is an amazing house hospitality and receiving guests like ourselves.
00:43And it's important for every one of us to respect the culture and the religion and the community if you
00:50are out there.
00:51And I'm an Israeli diplomat, and it's the higher I'm an Israeli diplomat in the Philippines,
00:57that my goal is to protect Israeli citizens if they are in distress.
01:01I'm saying very loudly clear, if they are misbehaving, it's not distress.
01:06They should be either arrested or anything that has been inflicted upon them by the laws of the Philippines.
01:16Having said that, we know that the situation of tourism back and forth from Israel,
01:25even despite the war, there are a few years ago in Israel, there are thousands of Israelis coming here.
01:32Some of them, when they come here, they go to the provinces.
01:35Of their oil of devilism is taking care of their parents.
01:39Because they become a family and they will visit them.
01:43So the church was the 7,000 island, a mini paradise that we have here, and of course, cherish the
01:52people.
01:53And Girardal is a wonderful destination for surfing, and for that it's a very big attraction of thousands of Israelis.
02:02And if, as I mentioned, one of those Israelis, or a group of those Israelis are misbehaving,
02:09they should be putting under the relevant punishment by the law-enforcing of the units that are in the place.
02:28But we also know that this tourism has opportunities and challenges.
02:37Because as much as we want people to come to our nations, we also want, if we are living in
02:42a place,
02:43we want to live there in peace and to treat it as our own.
02:47And once they're in the leaf class and over-tourism, it can cause a lot of exchanging the community,
02:54a livelihood of people.
02:59And I imagine that that's what has happened also in Girardal.
03:03And if, if I, when I looked at some of the testimonial that are on social media,
03:13I do identify that, that, first of all, there's a lot of anti-Israel or anti-Semitic notion that,
03:21and so everything is creating a different atmosphere.
03:25And if there's a rattle apple, and if there's an Israeli tourist who had done wrong, he should impress me.
03:30But we, I would urge and encourage you, as media representing the situation,
03:36not to paint all of this way, this tourism here, and swatanatos.
03:41Because that's very far from the front.
03:44And I have shared, I met the former tourism secretary, Secretary Vasco,
03:55and we discussed even this issue, and I said loud and clear,
03:59if there's an Israeli who's believing, he's enforcing relevant laws.
04:08But, bear in mind that there are some Israelis who are feeling not welcome here
04:13because there is a sentiment that they want to, you know, tear or something,
04:19or an anti-Israeli sentiment.
04:20And we need to bear in mind that maybe, and as we already know,
04:25the social media can have defendants.
04:29The recent amplification was caused by an Israeli media.
04:33The Israeli main channel, Mako, had published two events that had been addressed
04:38and I think that if those Israelis had jumped from a bridge, for example,
04:43while they were asked by the policeman not to do so, and they done so,
04:48they should be put in jail or a fine or whatever,
04:51and the police, the Filipino police will decide that there will be their punch.
04:56And we'll see you next time.
05:15Bye.
05:15Bye.
05:17Bye.
05:26Bye.
05:26Bye.
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