I'll raise another issue, the potential impact of sloppy business practices, which Avis admits to.
Clearly he should have been rented his car based on his rental history. Asking for a passport is reasonable, but should be done consistently. Not at the discretion of a counter clerk, unless it's a backup in cases of concern about the renters identity. In that context it's reasonable to inquire why the counter clerk refused his Israeli drivers license, not Avis policy and adequate id to rent the car.
Personally, I'd complain under the same circumstances, particularly given a track record of rentals with Avis. And probably use Hertz next time. In this case the renter had an additional reason to clarify the reason for his denial. He's the chief counsel for Teva Pharmaceuticals, a $20 billion plus Israeli company with 30 locations and over 7,000 employees in the US, over 40,000 worldwide. It's reasonable to assume that accounts for a rental or two by their 7,000 Israeli employees. Were I in his shoes I'd feel an obligation to give a heads up to whomever manages the companies travel relationships. In his case it ruined a social evening, however it's a potential expense to the company if employees run into similar problems with Israeli licenses. Of licenses from other countries. Avis is not the only rental company.
yep, I agree.