Store owner sorry for ‘No Israelis’

A STORE owner who refused to serve Israelis in Cairns has apologised for offending the Jewish community but also defended his actions.

The furore started when Israeli tourist Mohr Wenger posted on Facebook her experience in the shop when she and her friend went to get their noses pierced.

Cold Steel Piercing owner Mark Bryce asked where Wenger was from and, when she said Israel, he said he couldn’t serve her out of principle.

“He said he doesn’t agree with what our government does and therefore we are not welcome in his shop,” Wenger posted.

“You can’t discriminate people out of principle. He even pointed out a sign that we missed saying ‘No Israelis served here’.

“A sign that means ‘I don’t want to listen, I don’t care who you are but if you are from Israel go away’. That’s sugarcoating anti-Semitism. That’s sugarcoating racism.”

However, speaking to The AJN  this week, Bryce insisted, “I’ve been misunderstood.

“I apologise to any of the Australian Jewish community if they have taken it the wrong way.

“It has nothing to do with the Jewish community, the sign was a statement about the Palestinians’ and Israelis’ issues.

“I support the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, which is a peaceful movement and we don’t condone violence,” he added.

“I felt morally and personally it would be hypocritical to take their money.”

He explained that the sign was designed to create a dialogue with Israelis.

“I was horrified when I saw the footage coming out from 2014 in Gaza.

“I think both sides need to get their s**t together, but from everything that has been playing out it seems like they don’t want to do that.

“I’m not against either side, I just want it to be sorted and the sign was so we could speak about it.”

Bryce said he’s now taken down the sign, but will replace it with a pro-BDS sign instead and will start serving Israeli customers.

“Out of respect to the Jewish community that don’t understand what we were trying to say we pulled it down.

“The last thing we want to do is turn our opinion into any kind of racial or religious thing because I respect all religions equally.”

B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said he was distressed by the incident.

“The diseased clouds of bigotry and Israeli hatred have clearly darkened the skies of Cairns,” Abramovich said.

“Such a shameful display of discrimination violates and betrays the Australian spirit of civility, inclusiveness and respect for people of all backgrounds and countries.

“It also sends the wrong message to all potential tourists that there are those in our country who choose the path of exclusion instead of extending a hand of friendship and putting out the welcome mat.”

The shop has been slammed on its social media page by those who oppose the ban on Israelis and others who claim Bryce is anti-Semitic.

JOSHUA LEVI