Fury as American festival bans an Israeli food truck
A PHILADELPHIA gastronomy festival was overwhelmed with criticism after banning an Israeli food truck supposedly for safety reasons.
Organisers of the Eat up the Borders festival faced sharp criticism after announcing that the food stall Moshava Philadelphia was not welcome to attend.
The decision to ban the Israeli business resulted in accusations that had it been another vendor under threat, organisers would have hired security to protect them.
In a statement, Eat up the Borders said its mission was to “uplift as many passionate small businesses in the Philadelphia areas as possible... In order to best serve our guests, we decided to remove one of our vendors for Sunday’s event so that we could deliver an optimal experience to all. This decision came from listening to the community we wish to love and serve.
“We do stand by our initiative to give vendors from all nationalities a platform to showcase their talents and provide an awesome experience for all. We will continue to strive to provide opportunity to learn from one another over a nice dish. We hope to see you on Sunday and join us as we continue to learn and grow.”
The statement was criticised for making no reference to threats the stall had received. Writer Blake Flayton pointed out on Twitter: “Israeli food truck expelled from an immigrantowned event in Philly due to threats of violence. Notice how they word it — it sounds like justice. It sounds like inclusivity and openness.
This is how antisemitism becomes mainstream, but the majority of our community remains silent.”
Moshava chef Nir Sheynfeld told the Daily Mail he was very disappointed about being banned:
“I think they were genuinely scared of what these aggressive protestors might do,” he said, adding:
“We really do hope that in the future you don’t succumb to such antisemitic and dividing rhetoric and keep true to your words of a safe environment for all religions and nationalities – not except Israeli
and Jewish ones.”