What began as a routine request to keep the peace at a guesthouse ended in a violent confrontation that left 76-year-old Eitan Lindenberg of Sde Eliezer injured, shaken, and struggling to understand how a simple complaint about loud music escalated into an assault. Speaking to Kan after footage of the incident was published, Lindenberg recounted what happened and said he never imagined that asking guests to turn down their music would lead to violence.
“I could hear unbearable music coming from inside the house," he said. “I went down to the pool and asked them to lower the volume. There was a huge speaker there, and the music was disturbing everyone around. I politely explained that there were neighbors and other guests staying at the property and that music couldn’t be played at that volume."
According to Lindenberg, one of the guests responded angrily rather than complying with his request. “She started yelling that I was a chutzpahnik and that I had no right to tell her what to do," he recalled. “I tried to explain that this was simply about showing basic respect for the people around us, but the argument kept escalating."
“Suddenly, her husband came out of the pool like a whale," he said. “He lunged at me, grabbed me by the throat, knocked me to the ground, and simply sat on me. Only the people who were there managed to pull him off me. We told them they had to leave and that their money would be refunded. By then, we had already called the police and an ambulance. I have heart problems, and my pulse went wild after what happened."
For Lindenberg, who has been involved in the tourism industry for decades, the incident was unlike anything he had experienced before. “I’ve been hosting vacationers since 1991, for more than 35 years," he said. “I’ve never experienced anything like this. It’s behavior that is difficult to comprehend. It seems that, for some people, violence has become part of their routine. I was at the police station, and they watched the footage. I understood that he was arrested that night, but beyond that, I don’t know what happened to him."
Despite the assault, Lindenberg said he has no intention of giving up hosting guests. Still, he acknowledged that the emotional impact of the incident has been at least as difficult as the physical injuries.
“You never know who is on the other side of the phone when someone books a guesthouse. Only when they arrive do you understand who you’re dealing with, but by then, it’s already too late. I could be her father. I simply asked them to lower the music out of consideration for the other people there. Instead, I got shouting, insults, and an assault. Looking back, maybe I should have called the police immediately instead of arguing."
Even after what happened, Lindenberg said he hopes the incident remains an isolated case. “We have seven guesthouses, and we’ve been hosting people for decades. Most of the people who come here are wonderful. I just hope we won’t have to see cases like this again."