Toronto restaurant sued for posting ‘Zionists Not Welcome’ on social media

Several third-party businesses, including Uber, DoorDash and Ritual, are severing ties with a Toronto restaurant after it refused to take back an anti-Semitic post on social media: “#zionistsnotwelcome.” Zionist simply means Jew.

Foodbenders already has a history of anti-Semitism and controversy in general. It posted a sign, “f—k the police” and another sign saying it was now open to “non-racist shoppers,” adding the hashtags “freepalestine” and “zionistsnotwelcome.” Its social media accounts have also been rife with statements such as “police brutality is an Israeli export” and “Zionists are Nazis,” including hashtags such as #intifada. Instagram shut the restaurant’s account after several complaints.

As a result of the incident, delivery services cut ties with the restaurant and several Canadian politicians have denounced the establishment.

Foodbenders owner Kimberly Hawkins said she loves Jewish people and they are welcome in her store, but she doubled down on her post saying she does not believe “criticism of the Zionist political ideology, Israel or the Greater Israel Project, or pointing out its racist supremacist foundations amounts to criticism of the Jewish people or even Israeli citizens.”

“Some people do believe this and may interpret these criticisms as anti-Semitic, and others will deliberately conflate the two to label you as racist with the primary goal of silencing discussion on Israel,” she asserted.

Wait…she wants “discussion”? There is nothing that brings about a good discussion like calling people nazis and telling them they are not welcomed in your store.

You can’t really hate Israel without hating Jews. The only people that should be called Nazis are Nazis. The Jewish nations has not committed genocide, while Hamas and the PLO make life miserable for their constituents. There is not freedom of speech, press or expression in “Palestine.” But that kind of “hate” is fine for Foodbenders. They not only bend food, but the truth.

The International Legal Forum (ILF) filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario stating that Hawkins should be charged with anti-Semitic discrimination.

“This claim will establish an important precedent that will set a clear legal red line – you cannot whitewash hate. This claim proves that you cannot disguise discrimination behind euphemisms. Discrimination is discrimination, and it comes with a price,” said attorney Ned Steinman, who submitted the complaint on behalf of the ILF.