When you wander into Manny’s at 16th and Valencia, everything is chill. It’s a big space. And it’s crowded. People are working on projects, sipping $1.75 cups of coffee, or reading the literature they can purchase in-house from an adjunct of Dog-Eared Books located in the store (curated titles from Frantz Fanon, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Howard Zinn and many others for sale).
This space feels casual and accessible. That’s the idea. Owner Manny Yekutiel, in fact, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with United to Save the Mission, a coalition of more than a dozen neighborhood nonprofits and activist groups, to ensure the “community” is copacetic with his “community space.”
The Mission anti-gentrification activists wanted a “bicultural, bilingual environment for Mission families” with bilingual signage here. And that happened. They wanted Yekutiel to hire bilingual staff that “reflects the availability of qualified applicants in the local community,” and the staff here is now heavily composed of local people of color (many are also LGBTQ, like Yekutiel). United to Save the Mission called for “moderate price points” — and not only is the coffee a buck seventy-five, but Tecate runs you two bucks and a meal starts at six. The food here, in fact, is prepared on-site by Farming Hope, a nonprofit employing homeless, formerly incarcerated, and low-income community members — and they earn all the food revenue.
And, on top of that, the MOU calls for “community-serving groups” to use the event space here — for free. That’s happening, too (groups with a bit more cash pay $54 per hour, which is still low).
United to Save the Mission also originally wanted Yekutiel to have awnings, because, he was told, “certain physical traits supposedly make spaces more welcoming for Latino families.”
This wasn’t a hard-and-fast point. He doesn’t have an awning.
And yet, there’s “controversy” here now. It has nothing to do with United to Save the Mission. Or awnings.
Last night, Black and Brown Social Club, the Lucy Parsons Project, QUIT (Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism) and allied groups showed up to fight the Zionist-Gentrification cafe Manny’s while white supremacist Zionists ate a meal in support of Manny’s: pic.twitter.com/Ff7g8VhZcx
— LucyParsonsProject (@LucyParsonsProj) December 27, 2018
[dropcap]“B[/dropcap]oycott Manny’s and its ‘woke-washing’ of the Mission,” blared an email sent Dec. 5 to media outlets by “The Lucy Parsons Project,” a self-described “radical black queer direct action group fighting anti-blackness in the Bay Area.”
“Manny’s as a gentrifying wine-bar, cafe and fake ‘social justice’ space in the Mission District, will only accelerate the raising of rents and the displacement of Black, Latinx, disabled and trans/queer people in the Mission,” the letter continued. “Additionally, the proprietor of Manny’s, Emmanuel Yekutiel, has unequivocally espoused racist, Zionist, pro-Israel ideals that we will not tolerate or accept in our community. … We will not tolerate gentrifiers and Zionists attempts at invading and destroying our community through ‘woke-washing’!!”
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And, surely enough, a handful of protesters began showing up, weekly, shouting through bullhorns and waving placards. Someone painted a Star of David on Manny’s exterior along with the words “Fuck Zionism.” A window was broken.
But all of this was initially ignored here in the city. By the media. And by Yekutiel, too. At first.
Media outlets, including this one, were loath to provide a greater platform to a small cadre of demonstrators making a Jewish man’s position on Israel’s right to exist a litmus test for operating a business in the Mission. Yekutiel did the same. Until the Forward, the longstanding New York-based Jewish newspaper, went with the story on Dec. 27. Yekutiel followed shortly thereafter with an op-ed in the Chronicle, and now we’re off to the races.
This is not an ideal story for straightforward, both-sides, he-said-she-said coverage — all the more so because one of the sides is a diminutive group of attention-seekers going on about Zionist gentrifiers in the Mission and using Jew-as-interloper-and-parasite language (“invading and destroying our community…”).
There are earnest discussions to be had about Mideast politics and Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and the shifting role of Israel in Jewish American life. But the “gotcha” here is that Yekutiel has espoused baseline support on Facebook for the mere existence of Israel (the nation where his paternal grandparents and their eight children fled from near-certain death in Afghanistan).
Protesters are not canvassing the Valencia Street corridor, gauging the non-Jewish business owners’ stances on Israel’s right to exist. That’s something to think about.
As it is, nearly every claim the protesters have made isn’t borne out by the facts. As far as gentrifying Valencia, Manny’s has replaced a high-end sushi shop known for its rolled ice cream with an establishment featuring (MOU-mandated) “moderate price points” and free community space. (Also, while the demonstrators often refer to Manny’s as a “wine bar,” which certainly sounds chi-chi and protestable, the MOU mandates it remain a full-service restaurant and not a bar).
Far from getting a sweet deal from landlord Sam Moss of Mission Housing, Yekutiel is, in fact, paying higher rent than the sushi joint did — rent that subsidizes the below-market-rate housing in this building.
While the email calling for a boycott of Manny’s described the programming as “Washington DC politicos TED-talks catering to the ruling-class Tech-elite,” that would come as news to Lateefah Simon and Lenore Anderson, hosting a forum Tuesday on criminal justice reform. Other January events include a panel of public school teachers brainstorming how to afford Bay Area life; a San Francisco public defender discussing a history of incarceration; “The Queer Latinx History of San Francisco’s 16th-Street Corridor,” and “The State of the LGBT Rights Movement in the U.S.” with Kate Kendall and Cecilia Chung.
Yekutiel was described by his critics as being “in cahoots” with his “homie” Mayor London Breed — which would be a hell of a thing, considering he served as the finance director for Mark Leno’s mayoral campaign.
And, perhaps most significantly of all, Yekutiel did not drop, unbidden, into the Mission. He spent well over a year methodically making inroads with multiple elected officials, nearly every nearby business owner, and several dozen community leaders — culminating in the aforementioned negotiated MOU.
“I have rarely seen a business owner go about things in such a thoughtful way and take feedback to heart,” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “The attacks are unfounded and unfair. He offers low-cost food made by people recently released from jail — what more can you ask of Manny?”
Renouncing Zionism, it would seem. Yekutiel’s belief in the Jewish State’s right to exist is, it seems, the only accurate allegation made against him.
The MOU Yekutiel signed with United to Save the Mission does not mention Israel, Zionism, or any other forms of ethno-nationalism among its 12 clauses. Imagine that.
Yekutiel has ostensibly lived up to his end of the bargain, however — the price points are low, the programming is booked solid, and the food revenue is going to a benevolent nonprofit. It’s crowded in here, but Yekutiel is cagey when asked if he’s making money. There have been a lot of free events, and he won’t profit unless he sells a goodly amount of coffee, tea, or beer — and, again, the price points are low.
It’s easy to portray an unelected group of self-proclaimed community guardians like United to Save the Mission as heavy handed for dictating a business’ price points (and even decor). The awning part, admittedly, doesn’t make much sense — but the more substantive issues seem quite germane in a community so decimated by gentrification. Nearly all of the asks made of Yekutiel are warranted and reasonable, especially given his professed desire to run a community space.
That’s why he signed the MOU, all the way back on Nov. 28. United to Save the Mission, however, has not signed its own document.
We called multiple members of United to Save the Mission to query about the status of Yekutiel’s MOU. We did not receive a call back. We do not know the reason behind the holdup; we do not know if these protests are a factor. Of note, clause No. 12 of this MOU would bind United to Save the Mission to “discourage peer organizations from taking any oppositional actions” to Manny’s.
That would be a good thing to do. “What more can you ask of Manny?” is a relevant question.
It’s time to start asking more of everyone else.
Gentrification has nothing to do with being a Zionist or being Jewish. Manny’s family is Yemenite so he’s not even white. This is harassment and intimidation. Wouuld it be acceptable is he was Palestinian? I don’t think so.
I stopped to talk with the protesters once and they’re ridiculous. Some guy whipped out his phone and starting recording me expecting me to say something negative. Manny is great and has done such wonderful things with the space. I made sure to mention there’s Palestinian hummus on the menu haha. I find it comical they protest Manny’s, but not places like Everlane next door, which are definitely not accessible to all members of the community. They act as if Manny’s shuts down Palestine is going to be free (because naturally Manny gets final say). It’s sad that they’ve exploited Palestine for their bogus agenda. Israel took in Manny’s family when they had nowhere to go, of course he’d celebrate their right to exist, doesn’t mean he agrees with all their politics. I mean, look at the US, we still celebrate the 4th, but aren’t down with the political state of this country at the moment.
Right to Ancestral lands? Oh yeah, let’s talk about your (colonial) presence as Complicity in the Genocide of my Ancestors and your land ownership as covetousness… Thou Shalt Not… 🤷🏽♂️
Bc all mission residents really want is $2 tacate huh? You rich ppl have no clue what ppl from the mission want. They damn sure don’t want someone who is for the occupation of Palestine faking like a mission social justice leader. People are tired of this rich wine drinking ass community of noe valley millionaires taking over their neighborhood
Every single person in the Mission that I have talked to about these people think they are utter idiots.
This is terrible anti – semitism. You are wonderful, stay strong!
Seeing so much hatred and manipulation in San Francisco of Manny’s is very sad. Labeling this 1 individual as a Zionist Gentrifier is antisemitic. Manny’s is very respectful of its place on Valencia Street which has been gentrified before Manny. His business adds value to the area with reasonable prices and good customer service. Most protesters don’t even realize that the Israeli Constitution gives equal rights to all Israeli citizens including the 2 million Palestinians who live peacefully throughout the country and serve in the Israel Congress and the Israel Army.
This article appears a bit biased and implies that this is a disagreement (he said she said). This is harassment of a Jewish person and trying to make his business fail while trying to stir up antisemitism.
Here he is again, coming up for air. What is the matter with you? Are you not able to read? No one, repeat NO ONE, on this thread has claimed that all critics of Israel are antisemitic. On the contrary, Israeli opposition politicians, journalists, loyal citizens, and Zionists worldwide criticize Israeli policies every day. Could you not be aware of that? Or are you employed by the Straw Man Manufacturing Corporation? And as for your precious international court of opinion, would they be the same folks who elected Yemen and Saudi Arabia to international commissions on women’s rights, and Syria to a disarmament commission? Is it conceivable that you have not entertained the possibility that if so many people in this thread are calling you an antisemite, that you might actually be one? Give it a rest, Robert, and please read the IHRA working definition of antisemitism. You’ll feel much better afterward.
Yep, here I am again! The IHRA definition was written by zionists precisely in their attempt to corral the growing legions of Israel’s outraged critics under the anti-semitism banner. The fact that an entire horde of zionists call me anti-semitic bolsters me no end. No, the people above, not all but most, as well as calling me an obergruppenfuhrer or some such, and twisting many things I wrote said clearly that to be anti-zionist was to be anti-semitic and to be denying a Jewish homeland. None of that is necessarily true, and in my particular case it definitely isn’t true, that’s why I take such umbrage at the misrepresentations of what I’ve said above. No doubt we’ll see each other on this site from time to time.
Here we are again, indeed. Joseph’s already said everything quite well, but I just wanted to add my voice to the mix as yet another Jew who doesn’t automatically equate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, as I repeatedly attempted to explain last week in my posts to you, and as you repeatedly made the decision to utterly ignore.
Criticize Israel’s policies all you like – that’s all well and good. Most of us Zionists do, too. But if you think we should have a homeland, just like nearly all other peoples on the planet, then congratulations: you’re a Zionist! Which is why we say “anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism,” not “opposition to any Israeli policy is anti-Semitism.”
Do you see the difference yet? Or do we need to pound it into your thick skull even more?
Well, I’m a little encouraged that you say that you don’t deny the Jewish people the right to a homeland. Well, that might just qualify you as a Zionist, after all! (Look the word up, why don’t you. You do have access to a dictionary, right? Here’s a hint: Zionism has nothing to do with agreeing with, supporting, or otherwise approving any Israeli policy.) Now, I don’t know If many of the members of the IHRA are Likudniks (I have my doubts), and neither do you, since you probably can’t name any of them. But they are historians, scholars, and Jews, and they have standing far superior to yours to define oppression and hatred against Jews. This despite your vaunted Marxist/socialist credentials, and your umbrage that you are accused of antisemitidm. And your posts, Robert, whether you agree or not, and whether you respect their principled definition of antisemitism or not, fall easily under their criteria. They might even have had you in mind when they wrote it.
Having seen the comments continue over this past week, I’ll just reiterate: It’s the court of international opinion that has long since judged the state of Israel to be a pariah nation and charges it with crimes against humanity over its treatment of Palestinians. The concerted efforts of zionists here to tar any and all critics of Israel as anti-semites is an old trick long since seen through. The jig is up.
“The court of international opinion”, really, and what are you, chief justice. Typical Israel hater who tries to use opinion as a basis of fact, another loser.
Wow, what a surprise – dodging all the good arguments from last week by bowing out, then coming back a week later to drop this steaming turd and spew more Jew-hatred.
We see you, Robert. We know if you weren’t a disingenuous hack, you’d respond to the criticism and arguments from last week instead of running away like a coward and then coming back when you think everyone is gone. Well, unfortunately for you, we Jews haven’t gone anywhere. And we aren’t going anywhere – unless you’d like to try to make us. In which case, I’d ask you to draw your attention to the dustbin of history, where every vile group of anti-Semites who has tried to destroy us before now resides. It is the future home of the so-called “Palestinians,” as well as anti-Semites like you.
Jews have been facing the “court of international opinion” for the past 2000 or so years. Prior to 1948, it hadn’t worked out so well. Now that Jews aren’t as easy to slaughter as we once were thanks to a strong Israel, we can flip that “court of international opinion” a one-finger salute. Yes, that does drive some people crazy. The concerted efforts of Judeophobes to pretend that their demonization of Israel is mere criticism is an old trick long since seen through. Learn the difference.
Harry, your comment helps bear out my observation above that it seems modern-day Israel must psychologically act out millennia of persecution against the Jews by doing the same to the Palestinians. And even by suggesting this, I probably meet the IHRI definition of anti-semitism!
Harry, you help bear out my belief stated above that present-day Israel has to “act out” the injustices inflicted on Jews over millennia, but of course especially during WW2) by repeating them on present-day Palestinians. Despite Israel’s crimes, and despite international condemnation your type (zionists, not regular, decent jews) believe they can afford to simply dismiss criticism. It’s an old trick all right. Even for voicing my belief two lines above, no doubt I fit the IHRI definition of anti-semitism! I don’t envy your festering mind.
Robert Hemming, “Injustices?” Wow. Way to trivialize 1500 years of persecution, massacres, pogroms, forced conversions, and – oh yeah – that WWII “injustice” in which 6 million Jews were slaughtered. You might consider learning more history; read a book or something. And Israel is repeating these “injustices?” How? By giving Palestinians access to Israeli medical care, Palestinian life expectancy has increased, and their infant mortality rate has decreased. An Israeli recently opened a shopping mall in Jerusalem. Employees and shoppers are Israeli and Palestinian. It’s another outlet provided by Israelis where Palestinians can seek gainful employment rather than working as terrorists, the Hamas/Fatah approved occupation. Mahmoud Abbas has expressed his anger over this Israeli/Palestinian cooperation.
I don’t know how to break this to you, but don’t get decide who is a “regular, decent Jew” and who isn’t. You don’t get to patronize Jews (or any group) in this pretentious, paternalistic manner, especially when your criteria are based on Israel hating groupthink. The worst part of your thinking that you can separate Jews into naughty or nice is that during the Holocaust – oops – I mean “injustice,” the “regular, decent Jews” ended up in the ovens along side the indecent Zionist Jews.
Whether it comes from ignorance or malice, go ahead and insult me all you want. I don’t care. I will still continue to stand up for Jews and for Israel. And I suppose you will continue to rationalize your hatred.
Really? So many comments from people saying “Anti-Semitic!”. Wonder why all the other articles on this site barely have 1 or 2 comments…. guess they only care when they think their own are being attacked.
I know the NERVE! of these Jews having a strong community that cares for each other regardless of color or sexual orientation. Almost sounds like Israel ??
1) Before this graffiti on Manny’s cafe happened, and in the last couple of months, Clarion Alley has repeatedly been defaced with anti-palestine and pro-zionist messages in the last few months!! My good friend over at Clarion Alley mural project has been spending hours on end – days – weeks – fixing these detailed murals that show solidarity with Palestine, and no one is mentioning this! Of course these murals are not violent, they are not anti-semite nor do they portray anti-semite messages. They are simply standing in solidarity and standing against violence toward Palestinians. Zionist are going out of their way to deface community murals, just a few blocks away from a zionist owned cafe. I am not connecting the dots and saying Manny’s is responsible for this defacing, just like zionists SHOULD NOT connect the dots that these protesters and boycotters are defacing Manny’s. All I am saying is that shots have already been fired by zionists towards the community in the mission even BEFORE this graffiti at Manny’s and before this boycott. The art and community space in Clarion Alley is under attack and unless this Manny guy actively does work to denounce this defacing, just blocks from his cafe, and help find the zionists responsible for defacing and vandalizing community art, then how can we welcome him with open arms?
2) Ya’ll better lay off Equipto and ALL the protesters/boycotters/organizations standing up to this useless cafe. Saying they’re anti-jew, racist, mislead in their protest? The fuck?? THIS IS THEIR CITY, have some fucking respect for the FRISCO FIVE AT LEAST and for all the people who helped lay the ground work for so many issues, preserving culture and space, exposing racist cops and politicians, and helping poor people and homeless, and ya’ll praise a man who moves here to open a cafe that brings “dialogue” and “discussion” to the mission? As if that’s not already been happening for decades in the mission thanks to the folks you see on the streets! Ya’ll don’t even know..
Um, One of those “murals” glorifies Rasmea Odeh, who put a bomb in a kosher grocery store,in Jerusalem killing 2 young men and wounding dozens others. I wouldn’t blame people for being pissed of at that. In fact, I can’t even fathom why it was allowed up to begin with- it carries a cruel and repulsive message to the Jews of our city.
You’re right, you’re not even from here… Don’t call it “Frisco”.
Also, don’t presume to tell those of us who live here how to live, behave or think about our own neighborhood. Your argument that because someone vandalized a pro-Palestinian mural, that means we should start rounding up the Jews and declaring them all guilty until proven otherwise sounds a lot like what they did in Nazi Germany. It also sounds like terrorism. And of course, it’s a logical fallacy.
In THIS country, EVERYONE is legally considered INNOCENT until proven guilty, not the other way around. Just as we shouldn’t round up every person of color because one person of color commits a crime, so should we refrain from doing so with Jews, especially since in this case there’s no evidence any Jew had anything to do with vandalism in Clarion Alley (my understanding is that that was done by white supremacists, NOT Jews).
The reason you and others are being called anti-Semites is because you are saying and supporting anti-Semitic things. Stop that. It makes you no better than white supremacists!
Don’t call it Frisco? Where have you been living? Go to any part of the city and ask people that were born and raised here if they call it Frisco. Black, Latinos, Samoans, Filipinos, and working class people have always called it Frisco. Only yuppies and rich upperclass people say don’t call it “Frisco”. You’ve probably lived in a bubble if you really do live in The City. You must not know a diverse group of people to really think that
Equipto has called for multiple boycotts against Jewish businesses in the Mission – he states it openly and often – so lets just be clear: Racism is racism and the anti-semitic nature of this protest makes these people in lock-step with the white supremicists of Virginia.
Amazing… In the same breath, these organizations denounce a man and his business for some actions of his government, while this LGBTQ group supports Palestine. Are they aware that homosexuality is illegal in the Gaza Strip and LGBTQ rights are not protected in the West Bank? Are they aware what it would be like to organize a Gay Pride Parade in Palestine? And hence from such a twisted world view you get some of the most racist organizations in the Bay Area protesting a perceived racist.
And Manolo… yes of course, it must be a cabal of crafty Jews behind this conspiracy, right? Incredible.
“Oh,” they say, endlessly, “we’re not antisemitic! We’re just anti-Zionist. Never mind that we see only Israeli wrongdoing, and we couldn’t care less about the Chinese, or the Russians, or the Saudis, or any country that isn’t Jewish. Never mind that we hold Israel to a standard of behavior not applied to any other nation, and choose to be ignorant of Israeli reality. Never mind that we demand of American Jews a denunciation of their own people who live in Israel, and that we hold American Jews responsible for the policies of the Israeli government. Never mind that we would deny the Jewish people, alone among the peoples of the world, the right to a homeland, a safe haven, and self-determination. Never mind all of that, and don’t think for a moment that we are antisemitic. We couldn’t possibly be like that!” And then, that thin veneer of progressivism, that mask of deceit, falls away. Thank you, Manolo, for being honest.
Unsurprised to see one jewish writer coming to the aid of a jewish business owner destroying communities in SF again. It’s almost like they don’t realize we can see what they are.
Some folks here — Hey, this isn’t antisemitism.
Manolo — Look! A secret cabal of Jews cooperating to destroy communities.
Incredible how quickly they expose themselves
You said the quiet part loud, Manolo. Noted.
JE
This Lucy Parsons Project group has all the makings of a Russian Psy Ops outfit designed to fragment liberals.
That makes a lot of sense.
Much more than their platform and agenda
While the small percent of people are arguing over something that the rest of the city couldn’t care less about, Mayor Breed and Senator Wiener, supported by Manny, are loving it because it takes away the focus on their plans to ruin our city.
I’m reading this as very much an outsider, but I have to say, the requests made of Manny don’t seem particularly reasonable at all. Many seem bizarre and kind of infantilising, tbh! I can understand wanting to preserve the look of a place and to avoid the perils of gentrification, but the way it’s being justified makes it sound like, if Latinx see a building without an awning, they might freak out and go foetal in the street.
United to Save the Mission come off as thugs rather than concerned citizens. Unbelievable that they are allowed to intimidate and threaten good people.
No different than gangs controlling “their” turf.
After reading the discussion and comments above I am truly aghast at where we are as a country. To even think that it’s righteous to boycott, intimidate, vandalize, harrass, shout down or otherwise bully someone for their personal beliefs is wrong and abhorrent to its core. These dehumanizing tactics are spreading and the end result, if allowed to continue, will be disastrous. The so called “woke” bullies and dehumanizers who perpetuate their beliefs on others with threats of violence, economic ruin, and public ridicule because they exercise their rightful freedom to think, speak and believe as they choose is a dangerous road to go down. Unfortunately, these despicable tactics are spreading and are not being widely and vociferously denounced by the main stream media, politicians, or others with the voices and power to weed it out and stop it before it becomes even more tragic. These “voices” are afraid to speak out for fear that they and their families will be subjected to these tactics. There are more and more documented cases of the extremeists threatening the spouses and children of those they want to “educate” and force into obedience. So, the voices keep silent, go along, and eventually even join and support the group think du jour. It’s personally much easier and safer for them. Let someone else take the fall for daring to speak out against the radical, ever more demanding and irrational demands made by these tyrannical people. Human history is littered with the death and destruction (human and property) that results when maniacal group think takes hold with the express intent to annihilate those who dare to disagree with their ever changing, increasingly dogmatic and perverse agenda. It always boils down to the desire for such groups to hold power and to control the lives of others. The agenda or the dogma is usually not at the core of their extremeism, it’s their unquenched and never satisfied thirst for absolute power over others and the emotional need to feel superior and righteous whatever the cost.
Thank you Dominic. Well said.
From Glenn Reynolds:
If you believe in nationalizing socialism, painting stars of Davids on Jewish shop owners’ buildings and smashing their glass at night into a fine crystalline state, it’s definitely time to ask yourself, “Are we the baddies?” You are.
Hi there everybody. White male, Christian Zionist, NRA Life Member, 2016 & 2020 Trump voter here. Delighted to see the woker-than-thou bickering amongst all my enemies. What a comical spectacle, reminiscent of a scene from “Life of Brian.”
Do go on.
There is nothing worse than the petty tyranny of the Robert Hemmings of the world who have anointed themselves to role of hall monitor. Clearly Robert and the protestors are just like the Europeans….. they will never forgive the Jews for the holocaust.
Holy smokes. You really nailed that one.
“Someone painted a Star of David on Manny’s exterior along with the words “Fuck Zionism.” A window was broken.”
Well, Well: a Krystallnacht re-enactment and not a Trump supporter in sight. Sooprise Sooprise.
I’ve a friend in London whose father barely made it out of Vienna in 1938. She told me because of what happened in WW2 he’ll only ever trust another Jew. Can hardly blame him. I fear it won’t be till the last grandchild of a Holocaust victim’s family themselves die before some perspective will be regained and/or that Israel’s leaders are able to stop acting out their historical bullying rage against Palestinians. So I’ve been branded an anti-semite by several contributors to this thread; I’m even sharpening my knives for a new Kristallnacht, ffs! Anti-semitism is when you hate somebody or wish them harm BECAUSE THEY ARE JEWISH. There’s no other definition. And because I’m an impish prankster, I’ll add that it’s actually fine to hate Jews (e.g., war criminals like Kissinger) but not if the ONLY reason is that they’re Jewish. Geddit? That’s the all-important qualifier. Some of the rabid semites on this thread are a disgrace to their species, let alone their bronze age belief system.
So it seems by your logic, you can hate someone for being Jewish, so long as its not the only reason? You’d fit right in with the most popular anti semites of today, from Louis Farrakhan to Linda Sarsour. You are the company you keep.
I’ve a friend in London whose father barely made it out of Vienna in 1938. She told me because of what happened in WW2 he’ll only ever trust another Jew. Can hardly blame him. I fear it won’t be till the last grandchild of a Holocaust victim’s family themselves die before some perspective will be regained and/or that Israel’s leaders are able to stop acting out their historical bullying rage against Palestinians. So I’ve been branded an anti-semite by several contributors to this thread; I’m even sharpening my knives for a new Kristallnacht, ffs! Anti-semitism is when you hate somebody or wish them harm BECAUSE THEY ARE JEWISH. There’s no other definition. And because I’m an impish prankster, I’ll add that it’s actually fine to hate Jews (e.g., war criminals like Kissinger) but not if the ONLY reason is that they’re Jewish. Geddit? That’s the all-important qualifier. Some of the rabid semites on this thread are a disgrace to their species, let alone their belief system.
I guess you haven’t quite slithered off yet, Robert. Of course there’s another definition of antisemitism, put forward by, you know, actual Jews. This definition was formulated by the International Alliance for Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and has been adopted by several European governments and international organizations. You would do well to read it, and compare its examples to your hateful posts. It’s not really your purview at all to define antisemitism, or misogyny, or Islamophobia.
The very concept of these protestors is so over-the-top and ridiculous I initially thought “lucyparsonsproj” was calling them out and was on Manny’s side. lol
This would be so much easier if there were an unowned, participatory, multilingual democratic political space for Mission residents to consider development and policy issues in our neighborhood together.
My bet is that United to [sic] Save the Mission would fight that more than they’d fight Manny’s or developers who did not pay their toll.
Gay Shame is like a stopped clock that is accurate twice a day. While he was in office, Gay Shame did call David Campos on sitting on his hands while dozens of luxury condo projects were approved in The Mission. USM, for their part, gave Campos a pass and we lost The Mission on their watch.
Let’s face it: The Mission is crawling with community organizers whose primary task is to ensure that the Mission District community remains perennially unorganized and residents, not the organizers, are paying the price.
Perhaps one reason why hubble bubbles are coffeehouse fixtures in other parts of the world, is because community suffering is felt in the body, too.
One last comment for the record, because I’ve been unfairly tarnished as anti-semitic, and can’t take that lightly. My initial comment on this thread was that perhaps it would be in his own interest for Yekutiel to make it known where he stands on BDS. I equate the BDS movement with the anti-apartheid movement 35 years ago. Ask the Palestinian victims of Israel’s policies whether it’s a good idea. He should make his views known to potential patrons. Owners of businesses and buildings of course are potentially more conservative politically – it’s the customers who matter more. And then somebody above equated anti-zionism with anti-semitism. I believe this absurd definition flies in the face of the mass consensus even of international Jewry. In another attempted comment that didn’t make it through, I explained how I grew up in northwest London and went to school in quite a Jewish area. A few of my Jewish friends hate Israel for the same reasons I do; one particular friend I lost because of our differing politics; most of my jewish friends get rather sheepish and don’t really like to talk about it. Critical mass will soon be reached when the majority of Jews worldwide condemn Israel. Are they all anti-semitic? Or self-loathing Jews? So for the record, 1) I am not anti-semitic; and 2) I despise the murderous zionist state of Israel.
Lol
“I have Jewish friends so I’m not antisemitic”
Yes Robert…I was waiting for the “I have many Jewish friends” line. I’m impressed !
Maybe if you’ve been accused of being anti-Semitic by multiple people here, you should stop talking and start listening.
Is your typical response to marginalized peoples telling you that you’re not being sensitive of their circumstances and that you’re using harmful language/making a point based on bigoted pretenses to say, “Am I so out of touch? No, it’s the marginalized peoples who are wrong!”
Criticize Israel all you want. Most of us do, too. I’m a proud Zionist. But that doesn’t mean I think everything Likud does is great. It doesn’t mean I refuse to recognize Bibi’s corruption, that he’s unfit for office, and is a disingenuous peace partner. I don’t want innocent Palestinians harmed, but I also recognize that the fact they are being harmed is in large part due to the actions of Arafat and Abbas, as well as Hamas, the PLO, etc.
Nuance is important. And you can criticize Israel without being anti-Semitic about it. I appreciate that sometimes you’ll see people say something is anti-Semitic when it’s fair criticism. For example, the legislation currently in Congress to make BDS illegal – I disagree with this legislation based on 1st Amendment pretenses, yet some are claiming it’s anti-Semitic to oppose the legislation. It isn’t.
But making every American Jew answer for the actions of Israel? Screw that. You’re wrong from the outset to demand that from Yekutiel unless you’re also demanding it from every other business owner in town, or demanding every other business owner answer for the actions of the government of the nation of his/her ethnicity. You are singling out Jews and we both know it.
Anti-Zionism IS anti-Semitism. You can be anti-Israel without being anti-Zionist. Zionism is simply the idea that Jews deserve a homeland and self-determination, like almost every other people on Earth. If you don’t like the world’s only current incarnation of a Zionist-run government, fine – criticize it on the grounds of its policy decisions. But don’t criticize Zionism itself – unless you’d also say it’s fair for me to criticize Communism for the actions of Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and other genocidal dictators who have tainted the ideology’s name. But unlike Communism’s repeated failures, Zionism has had only one chance to prove its merits.
Of course, for an anti-Semite like yourself, one chance is probably one too many.
Thank you.
Nuance is racist.
Robert,
I highly doubt the majority of Jews worldwide will condemn Israel carte Blanche as the majority of Jews worldwide live in Israel. Second, please tell me where is your outrage for heinous atrocities committed against Palestinian Arabs such as this which happened in Syria. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.alaraby.co.uk/english/amp/news/2018/3/28/nearly-4-000-palestinians-killed-in-syrias-brutal-war
Well, here’s the thing, Robert. Do you despise the murdeous Zionist state of Israel (which is what you said) or do you despise certain policies of that state? If the latter, you are in good company with many Israeli politicians, journalists, and millions of other Israeli citizens who consider themselves loyal Israelis. And with passionate Zionists worldwide (including myself) who have little appetite for the current Israeli government. (A little like believing in America but hating its current administration.) On the other hand, if you actually meant what you said, that you despise the Zionist state, then you are in the effect denying that the Jewish people have a right to a homeland, a safe haven, and political self-determination. (That’s the definition of Zionism; look it up.) Would you also say that you despise China because you oppose the Xi government’s policies on, say, Tibet or the Uighur people, and would you also require any Chinese merchant to affirm his/her hatred of China before being allowed to conduct business in San Francisco? That’s racist and fascist. In the case of Israel, if you call yourself anti-Zionist, if you deny the very same rights for the Jewish people that you champion, say, for the Palestinian people, then, unless you are a Satmar Hasid, you’re antisemitic (notwithstanding your silly and pretentious claim to,speak for the mass consensus international Jewry). If you also require a political litmus for Jewish-American merchants in San Francisco, then you’re fascist.
Israel, like any country, defines itself by the worst things it does. I never claimed to speak for international Jewry! But I’m busy, and some people here have stupidly twisted my words, so I’ll let it all stand. I’m outta here.
You avoid answering the tough questions and comments. Joseph only had a couple-few questions, and now you’re “busy”, after writing other, lengthy replies. That spells “coward”. Tell us, what other countries do you judge as harshly as Israel? Or is Israel “special” and therefore that’s the only country that deserves your attention?
So heartbroken to watch you go and crawl back into that dark pit from whence you came, Mr. Nobody-understands-that-I’m-not-a-racist. Good riddance!
I tried engaging with the protesters online, but they clearly hate Manny because he is proud to be Jewish & supports Israel’s right to exist. Although Manny acknowledged in his Chronicle op-ed that he has complicated feelings about Israel & does not endorse everything the Israeli government does, that was not good enough for them because they equate *any* support for Israel with oppression of Palestinians.
So by that rationale, I suppose being a patriotic American would mean supporting Donald Trump. I asked them (in all seriousness) if being a patriotic American also means endorsing the genocide that Christopher Columbus committed against Native Americans. The answer I got was “yes.”
Ask them next if they think the Native Americans should have their ancestral homelands back. I bet they’ll tell you yes. Then you can draw their attention to the obvious parallel in Israel, that the Arabs are the occupying foreigners, and the Jews are the ones reclaiming our home from them. They won’t be able to say jack.
Let’s submit all business owners to political ideology tests. If they fail we shall send them to reeducation camps. This is a totally novel idea and ends well 100% of the time.
This whole situation is ridiculous. Had another Sushi joint moved in, would we be asking them their views on Israel. To sign a MOU with self appointed neighborhood groups?
“Jews will not replace us” — Nazis in Charlottesville
“Zionists gentrifiers” — super-woke protesters
(https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/08/12/charlottesville-anniversary-supremacists-protests-dc-virginia-219353)
“Running op-eds because you are politically connected and can get op-ed space is an elitist way of dealing with the community and is simply a divisive tactic.”
Absolutely!
Amen to Tracy Rosenberg! I don’t like the way Latinos and Jews are being pitted against one another. This is the second story of this kind you’ve written.
Well, when people stop breaking Manny’s windows…
Abhorrent. These protestors need to be arrested for hate crimes.
As for Manny’s, I’ll come hang out
Demanding Jews answer for the actions of Israel is antisemitic. Demanding Jews state their positions on issues concerning Judaism or Israel is also antisemitic, furthermore, a person’s opinions are no one’s business unless THEY decide to share them. Spray painting Magen David and the words “Zionist” on the front of businesses owned by Jews is reprehensibly antisemitic and brings to mind the actions of Nazis in Germany leading up to the Holocaust. When did it become acceptable to require people doing honest work to pass a political litmus test in order to do business in the Bay Area? These kinds of “demands” and “actions” are antithetical to progressivism and show a shocking lack of tolerance for diversity in San Francisco. They must be fought at every turn, because if bigots like those spray painting “Zionist” on the fronts of Jewish businesses win, who knows who they’ll target next.
Perfectly said; this kind of bullshit is the worst of San Francisco (a city I otherwise love).
Not supporting a far-right, racist apartheid state that assassinates brown people seems like a reasonable hoop for one to have to jump through to do business in a Latino neighborhood.
When you purchase something from those Latino businesses and they pay taxes to the US government, congratulations! You are supporting a far-right, racist apartheid state that assassinates brown people: the United States of America.
Of course in Israel there are over a million Israeli Arabs with full citizenship rights…some “apartheid state.”
nicely stated.
Here, let me correct this:
Not supporting a far-right, racist apartheid state that assassinates brown people seems like a reasonable hoop for one to have to jump through to do business in a far-right, racist apartheid state that assassinates brown people.
I agree that America and Israel are both deeply evil blights on this world. That’s why they’re such strong allies. And Saudi Arabia.
Did you know over 50% of Israel’s Jewish population are what you would call “brown”. They come from north africa, the arabian peninsula, afgnanistan, iran, indan, iraq, syria, and other places where people are patently “brown”. Here’s a link to get you started on your new journey of knowledge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_exodus_from_Arab_and_Muslim_countries
I forgot ethnic cleansing is okay if the people in power are the same color as the disenfranchised people they’re killing. That’s why we all remember the Rawandan genocide so fondly!
Lol
What a pathetic attempt at moving the goalposts
Let’s start going around the City and asking for every businessowner’s views on Israel’s right to exist. Are you going to boycott all of them (because there will be PLENTY of supporters of Israel) and try to run them out of business too? So disgusted at the blatant anti-Semitism exhibited in SF and in the comments above.
This is how “progressive” politics dribbles down to the lowest common denominator. Like the failed women’s march in Northern California. Why stop at white male gentrifiers when, after all, there’s always some seemingly oppressed group one step lower on the oppression ladder.
I agree with the majority of commenters here that if groups start picking apart business owners’ opinions to see if they are worthy of the progressive stamp of approval, there will be some reason to protest against all of them. But this is the progressive way – shout down, or hound out of town every business that doesn’t fit the perfect progressive mold…. whether it be a local eatery, a Russian bakery, a woman-owned laundry mat, or a jewish owned cafe.
Tolerance used to be the progressive mantra. But a new day has dawned, and if you’re not yet seeing it, this is how Trump wins America. Tolerance indeed.
Well-said, Pat. Few today recognize the role these divisive, absurd progressive tactics of shouting-down and making demands of those they disagree with have played in getting someone like Trump elected. The “social justice” crowd continues to shoot itself in the foot.
Trump won America because the people who voted for him were at least smart enough to realize the Democrats hadn’t for several decades represented working people. The mystery remains how on earth they thought a vile billionaire conman would serve them better. And the “liberals” who voted year-in and year-out for the Dems, no matter what, enabled the Dems to move ever rightward and take their supporters with them, now with the identity politics witch-hunts of me-too, and the phony Russian meddling hysteria. And no, I’m no Trump supporter, but a Marxist, specifically the World Socialist Web Site/Socialist Equality Party.
“The mystery remains how on earth they thought a vile billionaire conman would serve them better.”
It’s called “populism,” and it’s what the Democrats were missing. Plus there’s a huge contingent of people who voted Trump just to shove a big middle finger up the rear end of all the progressives Pat mentioned. The left has gone looney with its social activism, replacing tolerance for differing views and beliefs and a desire to live harmoniously with others despite our differences with a list of progressive demands that must be followed to the letter, lest you be labeled a gentrifying, racist, bigoted, homo/transphobic Nazi. Is it any surprise the right has responded in kind with equal furor, indignation, and extremeness?
If the Democratic Party had put any other candidate than the one they did, they would have won hands now. Even fishmongers held their noses and walked away.
As for Marxism and socialism…..sigh….
“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.”
Aldous Huxley
One correction. Manny’s keeps promoting their $1.75 coffee for some reason. I went in to support, and got charged a made up tax bringing the price to $1.92.
So it’s closer to being $2 coffee including made up tax.
Which is fine, but stop talking about this fictional bargain coffee.
It was also bad coffee. Had to dump it out.
Since when is tax a “made up” thing? Dude, every business has to charge it, it’s literally the law. You are inventing reasons to knock this business. Your claim is disingenuous.
The coffee was sold to-go. Every other shop sells $2.00 coffee and calls it a day instead of bragging about their $1.75 coffee that’s not. Again, I went in there to support the guy.
Employees in California are often confused about when to charge tax and when to charge tax. fgh is probably aware that cafes in California are not supposed to charge you sales tax if the coffee order is To Go.
Manny’s new employees or even Manny himself may not be aware.
Seriously? You must be fun at parties.
Thank you Mr. Eskenazi for the topics you cover, your well honed writing style, thoughtful editorializing and engagement with commentators.
Well into the 21st century, within this district, we have boycotts threatened against a Russian Jewish bakery and now Manny’s – vandalized with, among other things, a broken window. How fitting. Noche de cristal?
Seems pogrom is spelled the same way in Latinx.
Hey Joe,
Great article. I couldn’t find the link to the actual MOU Joe signed — is it available online / could you link to it?
I find it notable that “United to Save the Mission, however, has not signed its own document.” so I’m curious what commitments are asked of them
Not really thrilled at the attempt to pit neighborhood community groups against each other in this article. In fact, there is no signed binding memorandum of agreement in place between Manny Yekutiel and United to Save The Mission. I would be shocked, Joe, if Manny Yekutiel told you anything different, so why are you printing something that isn’t true? Or have you been misled?
On the larger issue, when groups in the community have legitimate concerns, it is better to talk to them. Manny’s and United to Save The Mission are talking.
It sounds like Manny’s needs to talk with Gay Shame and the other protesters. You may not be able to come to an agreement, but you talk.
Running op-eds because you are politically connected and can get op-ed space is an elitist way of dealing with the community and is simply a divisive tactic.
Dialogue is better and that is what should be happening.
“It sounds like Manny’s needs to talk with Gay Shame and the other protesters. ”
Why would anyone need to kiss the ring of protesters who self-proclaim as voices of the community? Unable to change the course of events proactively, you all are reduced to reactionary protests after your approach loses on the merits.
USM was the group that sabotaged the Mission Market Rate condo moratorium that polling evidence showed had popular support by forcing a ban on PDR uses into it which had no such polling cover.
USM and Gay Shame are isolated and alone, groups with no grassroots basis of support that are reduced to expressions of outrage put forth as political action.
In contrast, ACTUP transformed outrage into action to change the rules of drug approvals and innovate on health care services.
USM and Gay Shame perform outrage to get others to kiss their ring. When neither the nonprofits or the ersatz progressive district supervisor are opposed and you don’t suggest any structural changes, you’re isolated on your own. “Kiss our ring” is not a political goal.
The Mission deserves better.
I’m sorry, Tracy, are you insinuating that these anti-Semitic protesters get to continue spreading provably-false information about this business owner and that somehow Manny brought that on himself??
And you complain about his perceived political connections, and yet you’re part of an incredibly-politically-connected group that shakes down new businesses to force them to adhere to your list of demands or face your wrath in the shape of organized protest and gawd knows what else… Pot calling the kettle black much?! You are angry at Mission Local for once again shining the light of day on your group’s little hustle, because you don’t want the negative publicity of the greater Mission community, the real majority of which don’t actually support you, finding out about your shady dealings. Maybe if your organization was more transparent about its dealings, you wouldn’t have to deal with angry neighbors who are tired of your treatment of local businesses.
Tracy shoots the messanger
Hi Tracy.
As the article clearly states, the MOU is signed by Manny himself. It awaits the signatures of USM.
JE
No, Joe. And if you would look up, you would see that Manny himself is correcting the erroneous reporting. Manny made a new proposal and signed it, but it was not an agreement with United To Save The Mission. We never saw it until we got a signed copy. So as Manny says above, we are still in negotiations towards a final agreement. You should make a retraction and correct your article, because it is wrong. Thank you.
Tracy seems angrier here at the writer of the piece and Manny/Manny’s than she does at the anti-Semitic protesters making it difficult to do business in Mission…a civic business, let’s be clear, that is offering more community space and cheaper food (at a higher rent to a housing non-profit) than the Sushi place it replaced (if the facts are true, as reported) and has implemented many things that Tracy group demanded. What gives, Tracy? Any word on the protests? O nah?
It seems clear that, through her strategic silence, that Tracy and United to Save the Mission approve of these protests and that Manny’s only recourse is to try to talk to the anti-Semitic protesters who have vandalized his business and tried to shut him down. What a way to do business with an organization that has met many of your (most understandable) demands. Amazing really.
Tracy —
I wish the several members of USM I called, repeatedly, had gotten back to me for this story.
I have several versions of the MOU; I am aware of its permutations. As noted in our story, it has now been 40 days since Yekutiel signed the MOU and presented it to United to Save the Mission.
He has told me he does not wish to discuss this MOU until it is finalized; he just wants to do his business. Maybe, when it’s finalized, we can all have a nice discussion at Manny’s.
Best,
JE
Manny here. I wanted to add one comment. United to Save the Mission and I have been in negotiations around an MOU for the space for months now and all of their requests of me and the space have made total sense, were reasonable, and are 100% in line with the purpose of building a social justice and community space in the Mission. I just wished we had signed it and gotten it done before I opened – my mistake.
The reason USM hasn’t signed the MOU on their end is that they are taking the time they need to do this right and because we are still in active negotiations, not because they are flaking. USM is working hard to ensure that the Mission continues to be welcoming to the residents of the Mission. That’s my goal and the goal of the space we’ve built.
Hey Manny,
I’d be careful using the term ‘alt-left’ and dismissing noisy protesters as ‘trolls,’ if I was you (regarding your op-ed). Your civic engagement space is no substitute for a good old-fashioned protest, which are crucial to our democracy.
I know it’s counter-intuitive, but maybe consider welcoming the protesters. Dismissing them weakens your concept of a civic engagement space. Accepting them would’ve made for a more equitable, righteous, and democratic Manny’s.
Just my two cents,
Rosh
At least some of the protestors (for example GAY SHAME) have made it clear that no matter WHAT Mr Yekutiel does, he’s unwelcome. In fact I saw one of them call this article “white mens’ tears”, as though in any other situation they would ever call an Afghani-American “white”.
They are antisemitic, and blinded by the H O R R O R of a Jew opening a space in the Mission despite it being closer to a low income, local community space than almost any other new establishment in the Mission.
Welcoming someone who only wants to shout you down is a difficult, and likely useless, prospect.
Good article Joe. We’ve been waiting with bated breath.
Personally I don’t support this protest, but I’m not surprised Manny is receiving blowback. Any business who enlists a 21 person advisory council of politically connected folks is dubious.
Manny himself is extremely politically connected. The fact that he was awarded the lease while holding a prominent position for Leno’s then surging mayoral campaign is noteworthy. Maybe Moss supported the concept of Manny’s, or maybe he decided to get in tight with a rock star of a political fundraiser. I doubt he knows himself.
And Manny’s may sell $2 tecate, but he also sells Manny’s memberships. It’s not a model that promotes equity for those who come through the restaurant/ bar doors. Regardless, civic forums and alcohol don’t mix.
I have bias against Manny for giving me the runaround about returning Natali’s donation, but ML has shown bias for Manny by not doing a hard news story on the protest. Protests are fair game; for ML to delay/ omit coverage of a Mission boycott because they loathe to provide a platform for a protest they don’t believe in doesn’t ring of fair journalism practices, it rings of bias.
And this is a thoughtful comment.
“Fair journalistic practices” is a complicated matter. Crafting a he-said she-said narrative for small groups of in-person or online demonstrators and taking every claim credibly is not it.
Best,
JE
Thanks Joe!
Yes, what stories media sources choose to cover, and how they choose to frame them, is a complicated matter. I completely understand wanting to avoid this shit show.
I don’t know if the La Victoria story was a precedent, but I think the method of operation there was better — a hard news piece followed up with the Eskenazi 1-2. Of course, the he-said he-said narrative there could’ve been ignored as well.
I just like to challenge the pros. Your prowess highly intrigues me, and I appreciate your getting back.
Rosh
This is why you can’t even depend on local media.. I’m never dealing with Mission Local again.. smh.. I’ll address y’all when I see y’all.
Equipto, the Mission Local isn’t blood and dirt of the mission such as yourself, Mr “Heart and Soul” of San Francisco like your song. the mission local is like Mission c. 2010.
and anti-semetic is what you will be called the moment you compare the Palestinians with capitalism white supremacy and the very gentrification of the mission.
i used to dig Eskenasi for his opinionated pieces but after hearing from you (whom i trust more than mission local ANYONE’s take), i get it more.
manny’s also has a “membership”? ew. i cannot imagine Casa Lucas doing “memberships.”
it’s a whole new world and it’s not supposed to be ours at all. the beat goes on. we make things interesting and they’re bored hungry ghosts coming to always always take it. as if from a shelf in any store. consumerism and taking all the time.
Equipto, no- you can’t just bow out when these people irritate you; you have to speak even though this comment section is ALL New Mission and there seems no place for our side, our truth. you cannot just take to the street; you have to interact with people who want you gone and wanna eradicate you.
yes. the Palestinian issue is our issue, too. i get it now. thank you.
and Eskenazi… shame on you. you had a good name and now it’s a bit… well… you’ve just become a personal BLOGGER, really. i loved how you’d take on hypocrisy but now you’re just using your power of the press to be a little one-sided. you’re being cavalier with this entire issue. Manny sounds like he’s starting empire building. that’s what you do when you move into a town and have grander sights: you give $2 tecates and give a case of something better to the fire department as you introduce yourself because there’s payback LATER.
so 94 comments and it’s distilled down to “ant-semitism”? really? …and thus we will play out the same ish as the Palestinians and the Israelis.
but calling out everyone broken down and holding onto their homes when they were born here, went to school here…they’ve no “parents” in other states to “fall back on.”
thankfully screaming in pain an “anti-semite” to shut it all down all conversation doesn’t seem to be working anymore like it has for so long like when i was in NY, PA, Jersey and FORGOT there were even Palestinians “in the way” of Israeli dreams until i moved here.
sucks how ugly all this is getting. thanks Eskenasi for not being savvy enough to hide your perfect Mission Era.
erika “kitten” lopez
Equipto, The Mission had plenty of working class Jewish families like mine that lived and worked and eventually owned businesses there going back 100 years. They graduated from Mission High School.
Also important to note there are Latin American Jews, Sephardic Jews practicing in a Spanish-Portugese tradition, and Jews from wherever your family originated. The owner isn’t European.
It sure seems like the anti-gentrification activism many of us share with you is confused right now. Educate yourself.
I don’t know much about what’s going on, but would appreciate more detailed future reporting on Y’s specific views on Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. For many, reducing “Zionism” to a belief in Israel’s right to exist erases its history of and continued violence. Manny’s sounds great, but I for one am uncomfortable walking away from solidarity with Palestinians because a business is, well, by the sounds of it, great. If Y’s views are just run of the mill “Israel has the right to exist but must stop this apartheid and growing occupation,” then he’s fine by me I guess. Would love to see some reporting on that, and thx for all the other work you do.
Do you question the political views of every business you engage in? I don’t know if you drive a vehicle, but do you ensure none of the gas comes from Saudi Arabia, one of the worst human rights offenders in the world?
> but do you ensure none of the gas comes from Saudi Arabia
This is one of many reasons that I ride my bicycle and ride public transportation as much as possible.
Exactly this, Ron. The protesters and the few people on this thread who support them do not ask themselves the hard questions, or care whether or not they’re huge hypocrites. They are content to try and convict Manny in their limited minds because at the end of the day, this is really about their pre-existing biases about Jews and Israelis. None of them have their facts straight or any concept of historical context, and none of them likely have any real-life experience with an actual Israeli person. What’s driving them is pure ignorance and unadulterated hate.
For those of us concerned with unconscionable and abhorsble human rights violations, where is the outrage? FYI, this is from an Arab publication. Please stop singling our the Jews. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.alaraby.co.uk/english/amp/news/2018/3/28/nearly-4-000-palestinians-killed-in-syrias-brutal-war
Manny’s own words: From the SF Chronicle
“I’m a religious Jew and proud of it. My father escaped persecution in Afghanistan and journeyed, partly on foot, to Israel to reunite with family who had previously escaped oppression and found safety there. My little sister was almost blown up by a suicide bomber at a bus stop in Jerusalem. As a liberal American Jew, I have complicated feelings about Israel. I do not support everything that its government does (nor everything our American government does). Israel and the United States have provided my family with safety when other countries haven’t, but that doesn’t mean I support the ending of innocent life. My hope for the Israeli and Palestinian people is to soon live in peace with mutual recognition in sovereign and safe borders. This complex issue is a perfect example of the need for high-quality discourse.”
“Peace with mutual recognition in sovereign and safe borders”. Thoughtful. Nuanced. Reflective of the community as a whole. I have no problem with this.
Why would anybody?
(Spoiler alert: because the protesters are a tiny fringe group that don’t accept the existence of Israel within ANY borders)
Exactly!
The people of Palestine has a right to exist!
They sure do…in their homeland of Jordan. They are not “of Palestine” any more than you are “of China” if you move there and spend a couple decades. And their identity as “Palestinians” is a fiction created in response to the ’67 war – before that, they solely identified as Arabs, because that is what they were and are.
> their identity as “Palestinians” is a fiction created in response to the ’67 war
Personally I think all residents of the Palestinian territories and Israel should have Israel citizenship, and everyone should learn to get along, because they’re going to have to.
Claiming the “Palestinian” identity did not exist before 1967 is odd.
From the works of The Works of Philo Judaeus, about 40AD “Every Good Man is Free: “Moreover Palestine and Syria too are not barren of exemplary wisdom and virtue, which countries no slight portion of that most populous nation of the Jews inhabits. There is a portion of those people called Essenes.”; (2) On the Life of Moses: “[Moses] conducted his people as a colony into Phoenicia, and into the Coele-Syria, and Palestine, which was at that time called the land of the Canaanites, the borders of which country were three days’ journey distant from Egypt.””
From Limits of the Five Patriarchates, probably about 900 AD “”The first See and the first patriarchate is of Jerusalem, James, the brother of God and apostle and eyewitness, and minister of the word and secrets of secrets and hidden mysteries, contains the whole Palestine a country until Arabia.” (Πρῶτος θρόνος καὶ πρώτη πατριαρχία Ἱεροσολύμων, Ἱακώβου τοῦ ἀδελφοθέου καὶ ἀποστόλου, αὐτόπτου καί ὑπηρέτου τοῦ λόγου γενομένου καὶ μύστου τῶν ἀπορρήτων καὶ ἀθεάτων αὐτοῦ μυστηρίων θεαμάτων, περιέχων πᾶσαν τὴν Παλαιστίνων χώραν ἄχρι Ἀραβίας)”
From Mujir al-Din al-‘Ulaymi’s “The Glorious History of Jerusalem and Hebron”, about 1496: “”Among other things Mujir al-Din’s book is notable for its extensive use of the term “Palestine.” The simple fact is that Mujir al-Din calls the country he lives in Palestine (Filastin), a term he repeats 22 times. One other name he uses for the country is the Holy Land, used as frequently as Palestine. No other names, such as Southern Syria, are ever mentioned… What area did he have in mind when speaking about Palestine? It stretched from Anaj, a point near al-Arish, to Lajjun, south of the Esdraelon valley. It was thus clearly equivalent to the Jund Filastin of classical Islam.””
From Travels in Palestine by Evliya Çeleb in 1649: “All chronicles call this country the Land of Palestine.”
1873: William Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography: 2: Iabadius-Zymethus: PALAESTINA (Παλαιστίνη : Eth. (Παλαιστίνόs), the most commonly received and classical name for the country, otherwise called the Land of Canaan, Judaea, the Holy Land, &c. This name has the authority of the prophet lsaiah, among the sacred writers: and was received by the earliest secular historians. Herodotus calls the Hebrews Syrians of Palestine; and states that the sea-border of Syria, inhabited, according to him by Phoenicians from the Red Sea, was called Palaestina as far as Egypt (vii. 89). He elsewhere places Syria Palaestina between Phoenice and Egypt; Tyre and Sidon in Phoenice: Ascalon, Cadytis Ienysus in Palaestina Syriae; elsewhere he places Cadytis and Azotus simply in Syria (iv. 39, iii. 5, ii. 116, 157, i. 105, iii. 5). […] The most valuable contributions to the ancient geography of Palestine are those of Eusebius and his commentator S. Jerome in the Onomasticon, composed by the former, and translated, with important additions and corrections, by the latter who has also interspersed in his commentaries and letters numerous geographical notices of extreme value. They are not, however, of such a character as to be available under this general article, but are fully cited under the names of the towns, &c. (See Reland, Palaest. lib. ii. cap. 12, pp. 479, &c.)
1913: Al-Karmil (newspaper): “We hoped that they [the Ottoman Party for Administrative Decentralization] would rid us of Zionist threats and dangers. We comprised a group of people who had hoped the best for their leaders. This team possessed tremendous power; not to ignore that Palestine, their country, was part of the Ottoman Empire.”
1922: Mandate of Palestine: The Mandatory shall be responsible for placing the country under such political, administrative and economic conditions as will secure the establishment of the Jewish national home, as laid down in the preamble, and the development of self-governing institutions, and also for safeguarding the civil and religious rights of all the inhabitants of Palestine, irrespective of race and religion.
Unfortunately, those that hate Israel and Jews (often the same people) try no to let the facts and truth get in the way of their warped messages.
Тодор Тимонов – that’s a lot of irrelevant examples of historical references to Palestine/Palaestina, the name given to the region by the Romans during their conquest as a result of constant Jewish rebellion against their forced rule – a name which has indeed persisted. Why did the Romans rename the land of Judea and Samaria to “Palaestina?” Because (presumably like you, and certainly like the modern-day Palestinians), they wanted to strip the Jews of our history and identity in the region. The Romans thought it would be a great blow to our national identity if they renamed the region after our great historical enemy, the Philistines, from which the name “Palestine/Palaestina” is derived. And before you say it, no, the Biblical Philistines have no ties whatsoever to the modern-day Palestinians; they were an entirely different people, most likely closer to Greeks than Arabs.
All that being said…the fact that the name has persisted has nothing to do with modern Palestinian national identity. Again, these were primarily Jordanian (and in some cases Egyptian) Arabs, who identified as Arabs, living in the region. Most were nomadic Bedouins, and few had settled permanently. You will in fact find British documents and international press publications from the 1920s-1940s referring to the “Palestinians,” but when they say this, they are clearly talking about the Jews! Until ’67, when Arafat thought it would be a great ploy, there was no such thing as a “Palestinian” who was an Arab – there were simply Arabs. The concept of a Palestinian national identity is a modern fiction, used as a tool to try to strip land and national identity once again from Jews and from Israel. Even the Quran never refers to “Palestine/Filistin.”
All right. How about when Kant referred to “the Palestinians living among us?” Was he talking about Arabs, or Jews?
But don’t take it from me, or from Kant – take it from the Arabs themselves. http://www.0censor.com/palestinians-historical-claims/
> You will in fact find British documents and international press publications from the 1920s-1940s referring to the “Palestinians,” but when they say this, they are clearly talking about the Jews!
Please show an example.
Manny has said he believes in a two state solution. Who said Palestinians can’t exist or co-exist just because someone recognizes Jews also have a right to self determination in the Middle East?
Has manny’s said any differently? You seem to miss the point of the article.
If Manny’s support genocide of the Palestinian people! I support a boycott of Manny’s.
Good thing the Arab population in Palestine under Israeli-Jewish rule has increased fivefold since the founding of the State of Israel, then…almost as if the idea of a Palestinian genocide is false narrative propaganda with no basis in reality! Either that or us Jews are just really bad at genocide…
“Someone painted a Star of David on Manny’s exterior along with the words “Fuck Zionism.” A window was broken.”
This sounds a lot like a hat crime to me. Is it being investigated as such?
If you’re painting Stars of David on Jewish shops, and breaking glass windows, ask not who wears the brown shirt.
The “Fuck Zionism” without the star of David would have been fine, but see my reply to John above.
“This particular act of hateful graffiti is fine because I agree with it.” – Robert Hemming, paraphrased.
I disagree with you.
So you conflate criticism of Israel with anti-semitism?
I don’t know many people who do that. It’s the activism to destroy Israel (not criticism) that is anti-Semitism. BDS therefore is anti-Semitism, no matter how many well meaning people are duped into thinking it’s a civil/human rights movement.
Criticism of Israel is one thing and isn’t inherently anti-Semitic. Demanding its destruction is another entirely. Tagging anti-Semitic graffiti on a Jewish business owner’s wall when that business owner has expressly stated that despite being a Zionist, he disagrees with some aspects of Israeli governance and treatment of the Palestinians? Yeah, that’s definitely racist.
Demanding the world’s only Jewish state destroy itself to make its enemies happy is antisemitism.
Not conflating. Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism and if you don’t see that, you are an anti-semite.
Why isn’t there a picture of it? Lies, that’s why..
https://missionlocal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_3158.jpg.pdf
https://missionlocal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_9999.jpg.pdf
So long,
JE
Joe … Any thoughts on the meaning of joining of the Magan David and cross? I’ve seen it used by the Jews for Jesus and also as a sign of interfaith cooperation. It doesn’t seem to me that either of those folks would do this. Are we seeing a new extremist anti-Jewish, anti Christian and God knows anti who else “movement” developing here?. Weird, but in the age of Trump, anything’s possible.
Nah
Let’s go with Occam’s razor here instead of obscuring
Joe, you implied in your report that the SoD and “Fuck Zionism” were by the same hand, but from your photos this doesn’t seem the case. The devil is in the details. “Fuck Zionism” is fine, but using the SoD in graffiti invariably represents ignorance at best, anti-semitism at worst. As I said above, the disgusting behavior of the Israeli government towards the Palestinians has created new anti-semites among those too ignorant to know the difference between regular jews and zionists.
Not enough people are tearing you a new A for your disgusting and stupid claim that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is “disgusting”. That’s nonsense. Israel helps the Palestinians with health, economy and at one time offered them numerous deals for a Palestinian state, which were rejected with extreme prejudice.
There are innocent Palestinians who do want peace with Israel — which is never going anywhere! — but they’re held hostage by their vile leaders, which you side with. You’re disgusting.
We are Jews and we are Zionists. Got it Hemming. Don’t attempt to separate the two. They have been joined together for thousands of years. Way before any Palestinians were on the scene. Study some history. Become educated.
Would you blame police brutality against African-Americans on black crime rates? It’s called racism or in this case antisemitism to do so.
Your country, the USA had ONE terror attack and promptly invaded TWO far-off countries that were not a threat to the USA, killing thousands and you preach to Israel? Your country murdered 87,000 Vietnamese children, again a country that was not a threat to the USA, and you preach to Israel?
Joe. E, in answer to your comment below, no I don’t think so. My old editor back in the day told us to be “precise yet concise.” Looks like two different people wrote the “Fuck Zionism” and drew the SoD graffiti (with a cross and some meaningless symbols?); so there’s a fair chance the graffiti drawer was a confused anti-semite, whereas the “Fuck Zionism” writer is on the right track but just needs perhaps to refine his stance. I recommend the World Socialist Web Site to everyone!
Robert —
I think you’re parsing this an awful lot.
JE
I think his previous involvement with FWD.US and that organization’s close connection to silicon valley makes people nervous. Ditto his ties to Weiner and ergo London Breed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FWD.us
If that were the case Myla then why focus on Israel, Zionion, and Judaism?
Who is focused on Israel, Zionism and Judaism? Not me. Not was my comment.
Myla is wrong about Manny being tied to Mayor Breed. Manny helped lead Leno’s campaign against Breed.
Wow–that’s quite a stretch. His involvement with an organization that supports amnesty for undocumented immigrants is somehow unacceptable for a mission business owner… because “tech”?!
Can you really not see that he is being held to a much higher standard than any of the hundreds of other mission business owners because of one particular feature of his identity? And, is it just a coincidence that Israel is held to a much higher standard than the countries of origin of other mission business people?
It’s a scary time being Jewish right now; maybe think twice about piling on to antisemitic shit like this, k?
Nothing I mentioned has a single thing to do with anti-Semitism. I simply pointed out that he is aligning himself with problamatic politicians and an industry many people mistrust. Up to you whether or not you agree or disagree. But to bandy about the word anti-semite so nilly willy is irresponsible and sucks it of all its force and meaning.
Nothing you mentioned related to antisemitism, and I didn’t said that it did. But you are providing support what sure looks like antisemitism to me and virtually all the other Jewish folks here. This isn’t a charge I’ve made often in my life, but this one is pretty darn clear.
Do you need to see a swastika before it counts as antisemitism in your book?
I think the politics of someone who runs a salon for political seminars, panels, discussions etc is a valid subject.
Huh? The link you provided says that FWD.US stands for: “…prison reform, amnesty for undocumented immigrants, particularly for DACA recipients, and higher levels of immigration visas, particularly for H-1B visas for foreign workers in STEM fields…” I thought those were good things. Just be honest: it’s because he’s Jewish.
It’s run by tech astroturfers.
Perhaps Yekutiel could help himself by publicly denouncing all anti-BDS legislation already signed into law in many states (including California) which punishes companies by refusing state contracts to those who advocate the boycott of the vile zionist Israeli state. Until then, keep up the boycott. Yekutiel should have done his due diligence and known the views of the vast majority of Mission locals when it comes to Israel.
So its a litmus test? Hemming, you have just proven the point of this article.
You’re not just an antisemite Robert. You are horribly misinformed and mischaracterize the legislation. The blatant hypocrisy and utter stupidity of your ill informed position makes us question if you are capable of providing an unbiased and informed position.
The vast majority of Americans, and the vast majority of “Mission Locals” respect Israel’s existence with safe and secure borders (the protesters at Manny’s do not accept the existence of Israel within any borders.) They are a miniscule fringe group. Other anti-Israel groups in the area recognize this attack on a queer Jew as pure anti-semitism, and have refused to participate in this protest. Some of them have taken it a step further, and have promoted events at Manny’s, as a way to distance themselves from this group.
And in the meantime, Manny’s is standing room only on Wednesday nights.
Why should he facilitate boycotting Israel? These activists don’t boycott any other country with far far worse human rights records or campaign for their destrucion like BDS. Most of BDS claims are merely half truths, lies and general BS like Israel is apart..d. We know precisely why they choose this single land dispute, and HR issue out of all the land disputes and HR issues in the world-because Israel is a Jewish state. They don’t even campaign for Palestinian rights under their own mysogenistic, homophobic leadership -Hamas and PA. That’s what makes all this Mision campaigning for Palestinian rights such a hypocritical farce.
Only Israel? Oh yeah, those uppity Jews.
Israel is not a vile state. It is a 5000 years old country which the indigenous Jews built and live. To make peace with the terrorists Hamas Israel gave away Gaza but only got rockets and terrorism in return. I applaud Manny and his right to stand for Israel and if the haters don’t like it tough~ Time to stand up to their lies and hate~
Any other litmus tests for Jews to have business? I just want to make sure we have all the new Nuremberg laws out in the open.
Danke, Obergrubbensfuhrer Hemming.
Nah.
But you are onto something.
Perhaps the protesters should come out against Hamas and other terrorists.
“Perhaps Yekutiel could help himself by publicly denouncing all anti-BDS legislation already signed into law in many states (including California)” . How vile that because he’s Jewish he has to denounce Israel or related activity to be accepted in a community. Holding all Jews responsible for Israel/Israeli actions is antisemitic.
Sadly, this was the case at several California universities during student senste elections. Jewish students running for positions were asked their positions on Israel before the vote. The same litmus test. Non-Jewish students who traveled to Israel were given a hard time as well.
I would assert that the vast majority of the mission doesn’t think about this issue, certainly not in deciding whether to buy a coffee or not.
I agree, but believe it’s a vast majority of San Francisco not just the Mission. These people arguing to to cover the real issue of Scott Wiener and London Breeds plan to ruin our City.
Why should any person have a demand on them to declare their political or social beliefs? Is this Maos China or Stalins Soviet Union? Did these thugs go to any other business or establishment in the area and demand to know their political opinions? As for your opinion on Israel, you have no clue, but you have a right to your opinion, just like Yekutiel does.
BDS is antisemitic. The legislation you speak of deals with the legality of boycotts in general, it’s not Israel specific, you just wish it were because…well we can guess why.
Would you require the same thing of every other business owner in the district, to denounce the vile, Zionist Israeli state? Or is this condition only meant for the Jewish guy? If there is a owner of Chinese ancestry, would you require him/her to denounce the somewhat more vile Chinese regime (think about those detention centers for Chinese Muslims)? How about the business owner who happens to come from a Russian family? Or are you OK with some Putin-supporting oligarch making money in the Mission? Should every business owner be required to denounce every government in the world that is guilty of wrongdoing? (Quite obviously, that would include a denunciation of the United States.) Or is all of this required only for Jews and Israel? Your hypocrisy and bigotry are appalling.
What the actual????????? Stop hiding behind BDS and show your face as an anti-Semite, because that’s what you are.
While we are at it lets go around to all the taqueria owners and ask for their views on abortion.
Absolutely. And not just Latino businesses, but Russian Italian and faux Italian businesses too. What are their views on Palestinian rights? Do they favor of a one state or two state solution (or are they hoping for Apocalypse/Rapture)? Where do they stand on BDS? MBS? YPG? Rosario Murrillo? George Soros? Do they favor a second Brexit referendum? Italexit? Did they ever give a TED Talk? Can they prove they voted for Matt Gonzalez (not once but twice!!)? Do they have any secret ties to Silicon Valley? We have community standards to uphold.
Good point.
That would be an interesting poll. How many mission residents think Israel has a right to exist? MY guess is the vast majority, but I could be wrong. Maybe if a poll was done, it would shed some light on how the community truly feels. Would be interesting city wide to see which neighborhoods have the most anti-Semites.
Sadly, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the Manny’s protesters WERE anti-semitic; ironically the long-term behavior of the Israeli government has helped create a new generation of anti-semites among those too ignorant to know the difference between regular Jews and the zionist state. No anti-zionists I know want an end to the state of Israel, though they would like it to behave as a civilized state. That’s why it might be a good idea for Yekutiel in his own interests to state where he stands on BDS as well as settlement building, and the host of other Israeli government policies condemned by the majority of the world.
“Sadly, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the Manny’s protesters WERE anti-semitic; ironically the long-term behavior of the Israeli government has helped create a new generation of anti-semites among those too ignorant to know the difference between regular Jews and the zionist state.” Really? Using your logic, there should be a new generation of anti-Muslim people due to the long-term behavior of numerous violent acts of terror, murder and violence committed by Muslims against innocent people around the world. Remember Bali, Paris, Brussels, Orlando, San Bernadino, Nairobi, Mumbai, London and of course in Israel proper. Since your comment seems like an excuse for being anti-semitic, then anti-Muslim people can use the same type of excuse and get away with it.
He’s a small-business owner, not a politician running for office. He doesn’t have to answer to you or anyone else when it comes to his political beliefs. You think you deserve to know his personal business because that is the climate in the bay area, especially San Francisco, which has gone totally off the deep end from political activism to a sense of anti-everything that isn’t in line with “progressive” believes. This coming from a California born and bred die-hard liberal, albeit one with a sense of reality.
The only thing vile is how misinformed you are about Israel and how you spout the usual rhetoric of “anti-Zionists”. We listen to the claims of the many anti-Zionists, who claim not to hate Jews, who love to say, at one time or another “from the river to the sea”. That’s a thinly veiled euphemism for removing all Jews from Israel. They often also support the “right of return” for Muslims, acting blind to the fact that the Muslims would become the majority and try take over Israel. Let’s be clear, that will never happen. Not politically correct, tough s–t. Jews lived under Muslims before and they were treated at best as 2nd class citizens, and at worst subject to murder and rape during Muslims riots and pogroms. Ask yourself, what do the Muslims have to offer than will make everyone’s lives better overall than what Israel is doing today, NOTHING. You only need to look across the globe at all of the Muslim dominated countries. They’re virtually all 2nd and 3rd world cesspools, or oil rich and create obscene countries like Kuwait and Qatar. All are also either religious or military dictatorships. Why would Israel give up what it’s created for that? What country would the Muslims model their country after?
There is no apartheid in Israel. If there was, then why are all Christians and Muslims attending the same universities as the Jews, why are the Muslim judges and members of parliament, why are there no Jews only bathrooms, hotels, beaches, etc.? There is no ethnic cleansing in Israel. If there was, then why has the population of Muslims so significantly increased in Israel, Judea and Samaria over the past 70 years? Israel is usually pretty good at whatever it sets its mind. Don’t you think that if Israel wanted to cleanse the country of a bunch of Muslims it could so very effectively?
Israel is a sovereign country with established borders, no different than Jordan, Pakistan, and other countries created in the 20th century by the UN and League of Nations. If people physically threaten their borders, they will respond as appropriate to defend their country and their citizens. Don’t like that, tough s–t, it’s not you and your family who’s lives are in danger. Gaza is what it is because of the Muslims who live there, i.e., it’s self-induced. Israel gave back Gaza and forcibly removed all of the settlers. Kind of a litmus test for potential future removal of settlers and return of land, wouldn’t you say? Did the Muslims show that they could be good neighbors and deserve the right to have land returned to them? Did they create a viable economy and functioning government? Did they start to create a state of their own? No, no, and no. Instead, they elected Hamas as their government, which of course they’re free to do, and started to commit acts of terror and murder against Israel. There was no blockade when Israel returned Gaza. Israel was not shooting at them over the border or entering the land to kill people. Israel left them alone. Why didn’t the Muslims take that opportunity to show the world that they want peace and can live peacefully side by side with their neighbor? Because they hate Jews and want to kill as many as they can. Why shouldn’t Israel respond in every way necessary to stop this and protect their citizens? You want to talk about vile, listen to what the Muslim imans and leaders say they want to do to the Yahuds (Jews). Look what they teach their children and what’s in their text books. Based on all of this, why wouldn’t Israel have the controls and security in place that it does, wouldn’t you?
If you’re in need of a cause to support, why don’t you support the Kurds against the murder of them by Turkey and Syria? Why don’t you support the people against Assad who gassed tens of thousands of his own people? Why don’t you support women’s and LGBT rights in Muslim countries? I would think those situations are as bad, or far worse than anything that Israel is supposedly doing to the poor, peaceful, selfless Muslims in Israel. Maybe it’s because you hold Israel to a much higher, actually impossible standard than any other country in the world, or maybe you’re a secret Jew hater. Who know, you tell us. It’s easy for people like you to sit in your arm chairs and criticize others because it suits your agenda and your own prejudices. Instead of judging Israel on what it’s accomplished and what it contributes to the world, in spite of the Muslims and other Jew haters around the world, you look for reasons to chastise it.
Do you go around to any other business or establishment in the area demanding to know if their political beliefs match what you demand? As for behaving as a civilized state, do you demand of Iran that denies the Holocaust but promises a new Holocaust on Israel to behave as a civilized state? Israel lives in a region where right across it’s Northern border, it’s neighbours have been murdering each other to the tune of over 500,000 people and counting, all supported by you guessed it, Iran. Israel is a tiny full-fledged democracy surrounded by death and destruction. It is a model country.
Why are you singling out the only Jewish state. For instance, why are you not protesting Chinese restaurants for the Chinese government actions in Tibet? Or Russian restaurants for Russian government actions in Chechnya, Lebanese restaurants formlebanese actions against Palestinian Arabs etc?
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Turkish government is slaughtering Kurds and threatening to slaughter Greeks ask we speak. Why no protests against pro-Turkish businesses?
No one could believe it, Joseph. Robert’s over there sharpening up his knives, just slavering for the opportunity to participate in the next Kristallnacht. His rhetoric and that of people like him will get us there sooner than anyone expects, I’m sure.
But yes, Robert, do tell us more about your “BDS” participation against countries other than Israel, I’m dying to hear about your ideological consistency towards oppressive regimes. Do you ask every Chinese restaurant owner if they purchase products from China before buying some egg foo yung? How about the Arab liquor store owner – are you sure he doesn’t support Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, or even Saudi Arabia when you’re buying that bottle of wine? Have you asked him his opinions on Assad, Hussein, or the Taliban? Do you shop at Wal-Mart, or any US-owned corporation, fueling the oppressive American military-industrial complex and ensuring the US war machine never runs out of gas?
Speaking of gas, how do you manage to avoid putting fuel from oppressive regimes like KSA and Venezuela into your car? Last I checked the gas station doesn’t tell you country of origin…it must be really hard to be an ideologically-consistent, totally-not-anti-Semitic-at-all BDS supporter!
Cole, I think Robert Hemming has answered your question below, although I’m not sure I follow the reasoning. The “story”, as he calls it, is about the vandalism and boycott of a Jewish business because its owner’s belief that the Jewish people have a right to a homeland and self-determination. You, I, and a number of others have questioned the motives of boycotters who single out a Jewish merchant for his opinion about Israel but have no interest in requiring non-Jewish merchants to pass a political litmus test on Zionism, and have nothing at all to say about soliciting merchants’ opinions about truly murderous regimes in Russia or China, for example. Hemming’s answer is that we’re not discussing any of that because the “story” is about a Jewish merchant and Israel. Yup, he actually wrote that. Who could believe it?
Please leave peaceful citizen Manny alone. Engender dialogue. And for those who truly care abiut thenwell being of Palestinian Arabs, where is the outrage for massacres such as this??? https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/26/palestinian-refugee-camp-syria-turns-unimaginably-brutal-assad/amp/
probably because the us supports israel with tax-payer money to the tune of $38B over the next 10 years, or $3.8B per year, largely for military support. in fact, israel receives the most us military aid of any country in the world apart from afghanistan, and more than double what egypt or iraq receive.
Please stop singling our the Jews for defending themselves. If you really care about treatment of Palestinian Arabs, where is your outrage for this massacre perpetrated by other Arabs? Leave peaceful citizen Manny alone!
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/26/palestinian-refugee-camp-syria-turns-unimaginably-brutal-assad/amp/
Or the US as the greatest purveyor (with its lapdogs) since 1945 of rapacious illegal terror our planet’s ever seen! Because of the subject of this story, that’s why not.
>No anti-zionists I know want an end to the state of Israel
Ending the state of Israel is the literal meaning of anti-Zionism, and the goal of BDS. You seem confused.
Gee Robert..You are so knowledgeable with your talking points and also laughable.
Why is a term like “ancestral lands” invalid, Robert? Because it draws attention to the fact that Israel is the Jewish homeland and always will be, that our forefathers’ bones are buried there, proven by myriad archaeological evidence, that hundreds of thousands of us fought and died to defend it from the Romans, that we’ve been present there since the Romans expelled us despite their decree, and that for 1,800 years while we were tortured, forcibly converted and massacred everywhere else we went, we’ve said, “Next year in Jerusalem!” at our Passover seders because the Jewish spirit of resistance never died in all that time and we dreamed of not having to live under someone else’s oppressive thumb for nearly two millennia, and that finally, 70 years ago, we reclaimed our homeland from the foreign occupiers who had invaded and taken up residence there? Is that why you don’t like the term, Robert? Because it refutes your imbecilic narrative of Palestinian indigenousness and attempts at erasure of Jewish history, you rank anti-Semite?
And yes, Eli is right and you are incorrect yet again – BDS’ express goal is the destruction of the state of Israel via the Palestinian “right of return,” allowing Arabs who never even lived in Israel and who don’t have any familial claim to the region to “return,” outnumber the Jews, vote themselves into office with their superior numbers, and legislate yet another Islamic theocracy for themselves into existence?
Zionism simply means the Jewish right to self-determination and a homeland for our people – the same as what nearly every other people on the globe has for themselves. To deprive Jews of it and not do the same for anyone else is expressly anti-Semitic, as you know well, being an anti-Semite yourself.
Unless of course you also “BDS” most of the Arab nations, China, Russia, the USA, the UK, nearly all of Africa, and most of South America due to all the human rights violations in those places that make anything Israel has done to the Palestinians look like child’s play. In that case, you’d be ideologically consistent and not an anti-Semite. But somehow, I have the feeling you’re just another anti-Semite who has expressly chosen the Jewish state to boycott – I wonder why.
Sabra, we ALL get to argue over EVERY term; and when you use a term like “ancestral lands” you blow your own arguments to smithereens. Laughable!
You don’t get to define our term Robert. Zionism is the right of Jews to self determination on our ancestral lands. I hate Netanyahu and Likud. I don’t like the settlements. I am still a Zionist.
You are so incorrect, Eli! I am not confused and I suspect you’re an apologist for the disgusting behavior of the Israeli state.
Of all the issues to worry about in the Mission, this is what they choose? These folks are so out of touch with the real issues they’re argument is rendered moot. Go protest for affordable housing, usable public bathrooms and 1,000 other more glaring issues. Issues that *actually* effect the groups the espouse to represent. If anyone is woke-washing it’s them by diverting attention away from political action onto their apparently superior “wokeness.” Give me a break, I dare these folks to spend one week running a business like Mr. Yekutiel. Shame on them, you help no one.
They’re professional activists who have no interest in understanding reality or applying it to any situation that does not meet their agenda and beliefs. If you haven’t figured it out already, the left (not liberals and not all Democrats) are increasingly irrational anti-Israel, Jew haters who only want to hear their own side of a disagreement. That’s why they disrupt any event that has to to with Israel, no matter how much good Israel provides to the world, while the people and countries they support provide very little to the world. Same reason they intimidate, threaten and physically asault Jewish students on campuses across the U.S., one of the worst being CSSF.
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These things needed saying- thanks, Joe.
Great article! I’m horrified for Manny’s … will make a point to stop there more often. Let’s hope the buffoonery from these protest groups and United to Save the Mission further erodes their position as the Mission’s un-elected racketeering goon squad.
This is blatant anti-Semitism, and those protesting Manny for his Jewishness and familial ties to Israel by using blatant lies are terrible bigots who should feel nothing but shame for their actions. I think I feel like getting a meal at Manny’s later today, and tipping heavily, since I am also a queer Jew who is tired of the blatant anti-Semitism perpetrated on us by so-called “progressives” in San Francisco! They wouldn’t know intersectionality if it came up and hit them in the face!
Sorry for this update, but now these protesters have become violent. On Aug 6, a person was video taping their protest when 5 of the protesters attacked him and knocked him down into Valencia street. Two of the protesters were arrested (the others scattered), the victim was an elderly man.
Absolutely terrible! Why would anyone turn to violence against an elderly person, let alone anyone else. My Dad’s office was on lower Market for years. Living in Palo Alto was heaven in my youth and I am glad my parents, who moved to San Francisco in 1936 did not have to see what a mess it is now. They would be horrified!
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Thank you, Frankie! Well stated.