Planned bicycle boycott in Philadelphia draws sharp criticism from elected officials, Jewish leaders
By Ross DiMattei, Eva Andersen
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PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — A planned bicycle boycott in Philadelphia is drawing sharp criticism from Jewish organizations and local and state officials.
The ride scheduled for Sunday in Center City targets several Jewish- and Israeli-owned businesses, according to a promotional flyer on social media.
The ride is expected to start at noon in Rittenhouse Square. Organizers say they plan to draw attention to businesses they say have ties to Israel, but it’s not clear what that will look like.
Elected officials and Jewish community organizations are condemning the event, calling it antisemitic and an attempt to intimidate Jewish business owners.
In a statement, Mayor Cherelle Parker said in part, “Everyone has the right to peacefully protest and express their political views. But singling out businesses because their owners are Jewish is unacceptable and has no place in our city.”
Parker said she directed the police commissioner to coordinate closely with community and partner agencies and to protect residents, houses of worship, businesses and the constitutional rights of people demonstrating peacefully.
A spokesperson for Philadelphia police said the department is aware of the planned rally and would “take appropriate measures to maintain public safety.”
Rabbi Annie Lewis, of Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel near the square, said it was heartbreaking to hear Jewish businesses were being targeted by the boycott.
“We’re standing right here at Rittenhouse Square, which is a place near our community where we come together in love, we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, we celebrate the new year here, with our neighbors. It’s a place where we want to gather and promote peace and love and kindness between our neighbors,” Lewis said.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday called the planned ride “deeply unsettling” and said in part, “This is not simply a protest directed at the policies of Israel, rather it singles out our fellow Pennsylvanians based on their Jewish identity.”
“That is unconscionable in our Commonwealth which was founded on religious tolerance and unacceptable in a city that prides itself on brotherly love,” his statement said in part.
State Rep. Amen Brown, who represents part of Philadelphia, called the event “disgraceful, hateful and completely unacceptable.”
State Rep. Dan Frankel and state Sen. Judy Schwank, co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Legislative Jewish Caucus, called the event “an attack on the diversity and rich cultural landscape that makes Center City so beloved in our state” in a statement.
The Philadelphia Council of Clergy Global condemned the “antisemitic rhetoric and activity” in a statement and called on organizers to cancel the ride.
The timing of this ride is also raising concerns. It’s planned for Nov. 8, which is the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, or “The Night of Broken Glass,” when Nazi-led violence devastated Jewish communities and businesses in Germany and Austria in 1938.
The ride is organized by a group called Philly Bike On Your Left, which in an Instagram post called itself “a non-violent social cycling page.” Early Saturday morning, the account shared more information about the ride.
“Let us be clear: the reason we are calling for a boycott of these businesses is because of their support for Israel,” the group said in a statement. The planned ride “has been grossly misrepresented” and some riders have been doxed and received death threats, according to the group.
Participants plan to ride bikes with Palestinian flags to “show Palestinians in our community that we stand with them and their lives matter,” the post says.
The statement from organizers said any “suggestions about the timing of our ride are simply false.”
Meanwhile, supporters of the targeted businesses are encouraging customers to visit them this weekend in a show of solidarity.
“They’re Jewish business owners that are here in our city,” Lewis, the rabbi, said. “They want to serve food, they want to build community, they want to make things better here and around the world.”
Allan Domb, the owner of Schlesinger’s deli, said he appreciates the support from the community.
“Hate has no place in Philadelphia,” Domb said. “The positive news of this — and I always like to look at the positive side — is that there has been a tremendous outpouring of support for all the entrepreneurs. Not just myself but all the entrepreneurs that were targeted, and that is really, really great to see. People from Philadelphia came together and want to help us and support us. That’s pretty amazing, actually.”
Yehuda Sichel, the owner and chef at Huda, which is one of the targeted restaurants, said he was shocked to hear about the event.
“It’s pretty personal to me,” he said, “Not OK.”
“My grandfather witnessed [Kristallnacht] as a 10-year-old child in Germany, you know, he watched — there were 700 businesses that were completely destroyed, not to mention synagogues were burned between Germany and Austria on that night, and this is obviously just reminiscent to that, people singling out Jewish businesses, using Zionism as a euphemism to attack Jewish people is not OK,” Sichel said.
Sichel said he’s been in touch with local and state police and the Department of Homeland Security.
“I want everyone who’s here supporting us to support us and realize that we’re a business, we’re here for the community, we obviously don’t want to escalate, if you want to come and show support, we love that,” he said.
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