A left-wing group called Philly Bike on Your Left advertised a “Boycott Ride” on Nov. 8 that targeted six businesses, all of them Jewish-owned restaurants, that are located in the city’s upscale Rittenhouse Square.
A flyer released by the group said, “No Business for Zionists” in Philadelphia.
Zionism is the belief Jewish people have a historic and legal right to live in the ancient land known as Israel.
A 2023 story by The Guardian reports the protests are not new to Philly. The eateries have been the targets of similar protests in the past because a co-owner of several restaurants is Michael Solomonov. A well-known celebrity chef, he also known for proudly supporting Israel and its Israeli Defense Forces, which has made him a hated target of pro-Palestinian leftists.
Michael Balaban leads the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. He told American Family News he supports the First Amendment right to protest, but to target the businesses because they’re owned by Jews is antisemitism.
“To protest a business, it's absurd,” he said. “To focus on them because they're Jewish is intimidation, it's antisemitism, it's Jew hatred."
NBC News reported the “Boycott Ride” protesters numbered about 300, but counter-protesters numbered almost the same. The eateries were also supported by customers who lined up to show support for them, the story said.
That show of public support came after a Jewish group, Jewbelong, launched a billboard counter-campaign called "Boycott the Boycott Ride."
A related opinion article by The Times of Israel pointed out the “Boycott Ride” happened near the anniversary of Kristalnacht. That is the 1938 terror campaign, planned by the Nazis, against Jewish businesses in Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland.
“Hate may be nearly impossible to eradicate from sick twisted minds who ignore history, facts and reason. But love is stronger than hate, and it’s our only hope,” states the article by Erris Klapper.
