The Budget Israel car rental company sent its employees in two outlets in the south an email advising them to refrain from renting cars to members of the Arab sector, Channel 2 News reported Monday night.
Budget employees in Be’er Sheva and Ashdod were told that “in recent days, several [company] vehicles have been stolen in the south.” Also, “several vehicles were returned damaged, and for dessert there was a confrontation in one of the branches.”
The above has been a familiar complaint on the part of car rental companies who rent to Arab customers.
“It was decided unequivocally that we want to reduce losses, and therefore we do not rent vehicles in general to customers from the sector in the Be’er Sheva and Ashdod branches (bold text in the original),” the email said explicitly, using the word “sector” as shorthand for “Arab sector.”
“If you need be, ask for an exact address (village X is not an exact address); certainly do not execute an actual charge. They insist and do not give up? Take down their details, and promise an answer within 24 hours,” the email advised.
In the past, an Israeli Arab resident of Qalansawe, near Netanya, sued the Tamir car rental company for refusing to rent him a car and won 50,000 shekels (about $14,000) in compensation.
Budget Israel said in response: “We do not have a discriminatory policy in our company. We will study the report and respond accordingly.”