Generally when we think of Israel and discrimination, we consider the treatment of Arabs, Palestinians, and immigrant communities. However, a new restaurant opening up in Tel Aviv portrays quite the opposite sentiment.
The new restaurant, founded by a group of vegan anarchist activists, aims to oppose any type of oppression, directed at human or animal. In this vain, the restaurant does not serve any products manufactured in the West Bank by settlers in order to adhere to their ideology.
However, the group takes it one step farther by forbidding soldiers in uniform and anyone harnessing a weapon to eat at the establishment. In support of this ideology, one of the bar founders said, “We can’t hold views against discrimination and oppression, while at the same time support the infrastructure that exploits human beings and other animals.”
This ban on people based on clothing represents a form of discrimination opposed by the group itself. The founders would clearly oppose any establishment that refuses to serve people based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and political views. However, the founders of this restaurant deem it acceptable to discriminate against people based on profession, ironically a career aimed at protecting the ability of these ‘restauranteurs’ to even operate the establishment.
Their refusal to sever soldiers in uniform is also directly akin to refusing to serve people based on slogans on t-shrits, such as “end the occupation.” Selling someone food does not in any way show approval or disapproval to a political opinion; it merely exemplifies the need make money.
This form of discrimination is hypocritical and no different than any other form of bigotry. Most Israelis served at one point in the military and respect the soldiers even if they oppose certain political views. We’ll see if the very small minority of Israelis in support of these anarchists’ views will support this clearly backwards establishment.