According to a new conspiracy theory, Israelis view the Pai district as a new “Promised Land.”
By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News
The Thai and Israeli governments sent senior representatives to a Thai province Wednesday to debunk recent widespread rumors in the Asian country of Israeli settlements being established there, Ynet reported on Sunday.
Israeli Ambassador Orna Sagiv went to the town of Pai in the northern Mae Hong Son province together with Thailand’s deputy prime minister and interior minister, Anutin Charnvirakul.
Together, they toured the Chabad Jewish outreach center in Pai, which was the center of a conspiracy theory, spread online, that Israelis view Pai as a new “Promised Land” and that Chabad was preparing a settlement for an alleged 30,000 who had already come to live in the district.
A few days before the visit, Chabad Rabbi Nehemia Wilhelm hosted reporters in an effort to combat the rumors, which he blamed in part on “pro-Palestinian sources.”
The 30,000 number touted by the conspiracy theorists was the total count of Israelis who had toured Pai in all of last year, he noted. When asked, “Why do you believe Pai is the Promised Land?” he answered, “You are mistaken. Pai is the Promised Land for the Thai people, and Israel is the Promised Land for Israelis.”
The report said that Sagiv showed Charnvirakul a wall of stickers in the Chabad House of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas, which had been set up in response to anger in the community over the stickers being placed all over town by various Israeli tourists.
Sagiv explained that people just “want to express their grief” and “there is no bad intention behind it.”
At a later meeting in a Pai hotel with some 150 local government officials, police and military commanders, business representatives, and Israeli residents, locals talked of being upset about public behavior exhibited by Israelis that disrespected Thai culture and norms.
Sagiv noted that with 300,000 Israelis visiting Thailand last year, “it’s inevitable that some will misbehave, but it’s unfair to judge all Israelis by the actions of a few.”
She also mentioned that Israelis “love” Thailand and the behavior the Thais found unacceptable was due in large part to a simple misunderstanding of their culture, which she urged Israelis to learn about so they could avoid insulting their hosts.
Charnvirakul translated her statements, noting that it would be helpful if the cultural education went both ways so that Thais would not get offended by Israeli norms.
The Wednesday meetings followed a statement by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra repudiating the rumors herself 11 days ago. “We’ve already verified that this is not true,” she said.
This was backed up last week by the Bangkok Post, which reported that “police have combed through Pai district … and did not find any Israeli influence, settlements, or business dominance as social media reported.”
It quoted the head of the district’s police force as stating that the rumors “made no sense” and that the authorities “have examined all streets, car rental premises, guesthouses, religious facilities, villages, and hotels. All businesses belong to Thais, and no foreigners own them.”