Ejected from Cafe for being Israeli, page 1


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ATS Members have flagged this thread 4 times
Topic started on 14-1-2009 @ 03:00 PM by alien
A story in todays online News website here in New Zealand:

'Oh my god, the Gaza Strip has come to Invercargill'

Intro:
Two women were shocked after being kicked out of an Invercargill cafe yesterday because they come from Israel.

Sisters Natalie Bennie and Tamara Shefa were upset after being booted out of the Mevlana Cafe in Esk St by owner Mustafa Tekinkaya.

"He heard us speaking Hebrew and he asked us where we were from. I said Israel and he said `get out, I am not serving you'. It was shocking."
(full article in link above)



While I understand and can appreciate that business owners do have some rights in regards to refusal of service...I personally find this a bit on the nose...particularily as under our Human Rights legislation its not allowable to discriminate or refuse service etc due to ethnicity.

So I'm sure our Human Rights Commission may have a bit more to say about it.


Sure - I don't have family who may be affected by the Gaza conflict - as the Cafe owner may well do - but I think its a shame that this conflict has perhaps created such an air whereby people turn on others simply because of where they come from.

A few of my work colleagues were discussing it this morning - some feel the cafe owner should be commended for making a stand...others, such as myself, feel that the stand made does little more than perpetuate conflict.

Would be interested to hear/read the thoughts/opinions of other ATS Members...



Cheers.


reply posted on 14-1-2009 @ 04:21 PM by soldiermom
reply to post by Skittle



Being judgmental and small-minded does not equal balls, as you so eloquently put it. These two character flaws (among others) are what lead to so many conflicts in the first place.

There are times when guilt by association is a necessary assumption to make. In this instance, he shouldn't have assumed. It just raises tensions even higher.


reply posted on 14-1-2009 @ 04:22 PM by JanusFIN
reply to post by 38181



Yeah... I can guarantee thats same situation in Pattaya when US Navy comes to visit --- MP has already sorted those places where US soldiers are welcome, and before they leave, MPs check that all bills are paid. (Huge problems in paying bills over the years, dont know why, some attitude problem maybe?)



reply posted on 14-1-2009 @ 04:22 PM by alien
reply to post by Skittle



In a way I do agree with some sentiment there.

I personally think its a good thing for people to have the courage of their convictions to 'make a stand', 'send a message' in regards to injustice.

Heck - I come from a lengthy history of involvement with the Maori Land Protest movement in my country...and have certainly spent my fair share of time at the front of protest lines, getting arrested/detained, yelling and screaming and acting for what I believe in...

...I guess what I learnt from my decade or so of active protest and 'pushing the envelope' with the Govt/Police/Authority/Country was that one had to become smarter - not louder...calmer not more agressive.
I learnt you couldn't force people towards change...you had to be the change yourself.

You more readily encourage someone towards change not by using one finger (pointing/blaming) but by using five (offering a hand of friendship, speaking person to person so you may know them and they may know you as a person first and foremost)

So while I think "Hey, its good to stand up for what you believe, to stand up against injustice"...reading about this Cafe owners stand all I think is "one injustice creates another, creates another, creates another".

It can be a bit of a vicious self-feeding cycle.

Old adage: Its not what you say - but how you say it. Not what you do - but how you do it.




[edit on 14-1-2009 by alien]


reply posted on 14-1-2009 @ 04:38 PM by detachedindividual
reply to post by alien



While I understand both sides of this particular spat, they should expect that there will be widespread anger toward Israel right now. I'm not suggesting that this excuses the actions of the store owner, but they should have an adult attitude about this and understand this little difference.

I don't agree that he should have refused them service, he didn't know if they support their country or not, and even if they did, as long as they weren't being disrespectful or causing any problems he should have no right to refuse service.

If I was them, (and if they don't support what Israel is doing), I would go back, and tell him that I understood his reasons. Show some compassion and support. Reinforce the idea that not all Israelis are completely insane.

He has made a stand, in an incorrect manner, but in the only way he really can. He is obviously passionate about the lives being lost at the hands of Israel, and he wants to feel that he is doing something.

Surely they should just be adults and continue with their lives, allow him this little victory without enforcing the belief that all Israelis support the war and are as vindictive and nasty as their government.


reply posted on 14-1-2009 @ 04:42 PM by kid_of_3NKi
Originally posted by Harassment101
It's wrong to pick on individuals for the actions of their government. Just the same way it's wrong to hate Americans for the actions of the American government.

What if these women are against what is being done in Gaza? There are some Isreal citizens who do not approve of what is happenig.

If my country does something wrong, or unjust, I don't want to be hated for it, or discriminated for it, anymore than these women should be.

I feel sympathy for the owner if he does have family that is being attacked, killed, and having weapons tested on them, but these women didn't do anything, but try to have lunch.


[edit on 14-1-2009 by Harassment101]

Dude, if these women were against their gov's actions in Gaza, why are they having a nice time sitting in cafes instead of protesting in front of their country's embasies while 100s of innocent Gazans are being killed?
There are many Israelis who support their gov's actions (maybe the majority even), and most of those who don't, do not have the guts to stand up against it.
You realy can't blame Mustafa (isnt't that an arab name even?!) for throwing out those women.. I would have done the same without hesitating, and I'm not a Palestinian / Arab.

The general point is:
You have to show people the consequences for their (or their goverments!) crimes and wrongdoing!
Otherwise they won't learn their lesson and things might not change or will get worst.
And if you are against criminal actions of your gov, do whatever you think is necessary and what you are able to do, to stop your gov asap!
Therefore there's no excuse for citizens who stay passive or even support their criminal gov, imo.

Ko3


reply posted on 14-1-2009 @ 05:04 PM by kid_of_3NKi
reply to post by intrepid



Know what?

If I were a jew during these days i would be so deeply ashamed of my gov's killing actions that i wouldn't dare to talk jewish in public so ppl can recognise me as an Israeli.. and imo that would be an expected behavour!

Ko3
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