By EVAN HARDING and DYLAN THORNE - The Southland Times
Stuff.co.nz Saturday, 17 January 2009
Protesters took to the streets of Invercargill yesterday, targeting a city cafe that is refusing to serve Israeli nationals.
About 15 placard-waving protesters stood opposite the Mevlana Cafe in Esk St at lunchtime chanting "Kiwis don't discriminate, Kiwis don't give in to hate". The words were aimed at cafe owners Mustafa and Joanne Tekinkaya, who ordered Israeli sisters Natalie Bennie and Tamara Shefa out of their cafe on Wednesday because of their nationality.
The Tekinkayas said they would not serve any Israelis in their cafe until Israel stopped killing innocent women and children on the Gaza Strip. The protesters said they were taking the peaceful protest action against the cafe owners because they had subjected the Israeli sisters to hate and discrimination, which was unfair, heavy-handed and unacceptable in New Zealand. Five hours after the protest action took place, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said he was disappointed to read what had happened to the two Israeli women.
Responding to calls by the Israeli ambassador for the Government to take action, Mr McCully told The Southland Times people had very strong views on the situation in the Middle East. "But it's to be hoped that this sort of thing isn't to be imported into New Zealand." He would not answer further questions on the issue. One of the Esk St protesters, Anna Chilton, who is of Jewish descent, said the cafe owners had been heavy-handed towards the women. "It is inappropriate and embarrassing for Invercargill and New Zealand. It's a nationwide racist embarrassment," she said. Emily Beale, of Invercargill, said the cafe owners had brought the war to Invercargill. "We are against the war as well but don't bring it here, don't discriminate."
Standing outside the cafe, on the other side of the road from the protesters, Carl and Racheal Goldsmith and son Dante O'Kane were staging a protest of their own against Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip. Mrs Goldsmith, who said they were anti-war but not anti-Israel, said she had always wanted to protest against the conflict in Gaza but had needed a catalyst. She did not necessarily support the stance taken by the cafe owners in refusing to serve Israelis but said she supported their point. "I think it's a much wider issue (than discrimination)." She knew what it was like to lose a child, she said. "It doesn't matter what country it's in, it's still tragic."
Several people being served at the Mevlana Cafe said the cafe owner was standing up for what he believed in. Robert Guyton, of Riverton, said Mr Tekinkaya felt passionately about the death of innocent women and children and "who could blame him?" He added he empathised with the two Israeli women ordered out of the cafe.
Cafe owner Mustafa Tekinkaya, a Turkish Muslim, has said throughout this week his actions had nothing to do with racism. He declined to comment on the protest action taken against him, but pointed to a sign on his shop window, which said "Stop the War". "That's what it's all about," Mr Tekinkaya said.
Turkish Kebabs, also in Esk St, said on Wednesday it, too, would not serve Israelis until the war stopped. However, A La Turka, the Turkish Kebab House in Dee St, had a sign on its window yesterday saying everyone was welcome.
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"Stop the War". "That's what it's all about," Mr Tekinkaya said.
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"One woman I didn't serve made huge noise. I love it, I love it - it's how I want it to be."
