BangkokPost-Sept 8
A group of Phuket residents on Tuesday demanded a ban on a planned Jewish New Year celebration on the island, saying it would draw conflict to the island amid the continued Middle East war. Saychol Nhuchet, a leader of the Group Protecting the Land of Phuket, submitted a petition to provincial authorities opposing the celebration planned by the local Jewish community at a chabad and a hotel in the Patong area of Kathu district on the tourist island. He said the protesters were not discriminating on the basis of religion or nationality. They were seriously concerned about safety, security and the tourism image of the island, he added. “Patong is a world-class tourist destination. A big gathering amid the Middle East conflict, especially between Israel and Iran, would cause anxiety for local people and foreign visitors,” he said. Phuket should not be drawn into international conflicts, he added. The petition was directed to the Phuket governor but the top provincial official was not available to meet the protesters. Siwatch Rawangkul, the Muang district chief, received the protest letter on behalf of the province. Rosh Hashanah, as the Jewish new year is known, will be celebrated on Friday at the Chabad Patong community center and the Novotel Patong Hotel. Organizers expect around 600 at the Chabad and another 400 at the hotel, according to The Phuket Express. The organizers are seeking police protection, it added. Mr Saychol, who lives in Patong, posted a Facebook message after the meeting, saying that the group was ready to step up campaigns against the event if authorities ignore their call and dismiss public safety concerns. The protest against the Jewish New Year event comes amid growing tension over the conduct of some Israeli visitors in Thailand, especially on the southern tourist islands of Phuket, Samui and Phangan.
Pai district in the northern province of Mae Hong Song is also popular with visitors from Israel. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul last week ordered Yaacov Ohayon, an Israeli living on Koh Samui, to leave the kingdom after he was convicted of making threats against the owners of Samui Exotic Park, a zoo on the island. The zoo’s French co-owner was subsequently ordered deported on Monday for threatening Israeli visitors. Both men have seven days to appeal the orders. The recent incidents prompted Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow to hold talks with Israeli ambassador Alona Fisher-Kamm, asking her to reiterate the embassy’s instructions to Israeli tourists to respect Thai culture and traditions. Israeli tourists have also been occasional targets of unprovoked threat and violence from other foreigners in Thailand who oppose the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza. Read more at:
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3316054/phuket-group-seeks-to-stop-jewish-new-year-event?tbref=hp. ]
