UberEats Ends Delivery of Toronto Restaurant Products Over ‘Zionists Not Welcome’ Social Media Post

UberEats has ceased delivering all products from a Toronto restaurant after the restaurant posted on its Instagram page that Zionists aren’t welcome.

Foodbenders, which serves as a grocery store and caterer that provides customers with the option for take-out meals, posted on July 2, “Open now – 8 pm for non-racist shoppers.” The post then added a series of hashtags, including “#freepalestine” and “#zionistsnotwelcome.”

The post appears to have been deleted.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCJNgA2hdrH/?utm_source=ig_embed

StandWithUs CEO and co-founder Roz Rothstein tweeted on July 3, “They might as well write: No Jews Allowed because Zionism is a big part of Jewish identity for many, if not most Jews. If they don’t take this down, people should boycott this place.”

TORONTO-Restaurant tells customers-"Zionists Not Welcome." They might as well write: No Jews Allowed because Zionism is a big part of Jewish identity for many, if not most Jews. If they dont take this down, people should boycott this place. @StandWithUs https://t.co/Xi2I15rhr6

— Roz Rothstein (@RozRothstein) July 3, 2020

B’nai Brith Canada tweeted on July 6 that UberEats is ending delivery of Foodbenders’ products. “In direct response to advocacy by B’nai Brith, Uber Canada has confirmed that it will no longer deliver Foodbenders products,” the Jewish group wrote. “Foodbenders is a #Toronto restaurant that has posted anti-Semitic slurs and pro-terrorist content on social media.”

#BREAKING: In direct response to advocacy by B’nai Brith, Uber Canada has confirmed that it will no longer deliver Foodbenders products. Foodbenders is a #Toronto restaurant that has posted antisemitic slurs and pro-terrorist content on social media. https://t.co/1D1C55l3Bi

— B'nai Brith Canada (@bnaibrithcanada) July 6, 2020

Foodbenders confirmed on its Instagram page that UberEats has stopped conducting business with it, as the restaurant posted a letter from UberEats to the restaurant’s owners stating “that the agreement … between Uber and Foodbenders is terminated effectively immediately.”

Foodbenders wrote in response on its Instagram page, “#boycottuber.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCTwKaZgZCc/

Israellycool blogger David Lange wrote, “I suspect their [Foodbenders] boycott list is only to be growing over the coming weeks.”

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs tweeted, “There is no place for anti-Semitism in our communities.”

BREAKING:

On its Instagram page, Foodbenders said that @Uber has terminated its agreement with the store.

There is no place for antisemitism in our communities. pic.twitter.com/oYUFNPNObE

— CIJA (@CIJAinfo) July 6, 2020

Foodbenders owner Kimberly Hawkins has argued that her post was taken out of context, telling the local news site blogTO, “When I’m making a statement about Zionism, I am not referring to Jewish people … . It’s about the state government.”

She added, “I believe that Palestinians should be free and have the same equal human rights as everyone and that’s not a stance I will apologize for.”

According to B’nai Brith Canada, Foodbenders’ past social media posts included accusing the Jewish Defense League of controlling “your media and elected officials” and a post celebrating Leila Khaled. Khaled, per B’nai Brith Canada, “hijacked two planes in 1969-1970 as a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The PFLP is a designated terrorist entity in Canada.”

Additionally, Foodbenders has accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being a “Zionist puppet” and accused Zionists of being Nazis.

B’nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn said in a statement, “The sentiments expressed by Foodbenders and its owner are hateful and deplorable, and have no place in the Canadian food industry. Together, acting within the boundaries of the law, we can ensure that there are real consequences for this behaviour.”