Reports of abuse by Israeli tourists spark calls for crackdown on Philippine island

MANILA: When reports of an assault by Israeli tourists at a restaurant in Siargao made headlines nationwide, it was not the first such incident to take place on the southern Philippine island in recent months.

This time, however, it went viral, with an increasing number of Filipino influencers calling for a crackdown on visitors from Israel to stop harassment and abuse of local businesses and rules.

On May 11, two Israeli visitors were reported to have assaulted the owners of Cartoon Resto Cafe in Siargao, allegedly because it had a Palestinian flag on display. ...