Brazilian restaurant apologises over anti-Israel signs

A Brazilian Arab food restaurant apologised for placing anti-Israel signs at its entrance after a massive Jewish-led boycott campaign on social media.

One of the owners of Papaya Verde restaurant, in Recife, sent a note to the Pernambuco Jewish federation stressing that the big and colourful “Free Palestine! it’s not war, it’s genocide” and “Boycott Israel!” stickers on its front window had been removed, reported Folha de Pernambuco newspaper on Tuesday.

“My sincere apologies to all who were offended. The power of written words does not convey my true feeling, which is to always work for the culture of peace among the peoples who have a great example in Brazil. I never intended to spread hatred or any other negative sentiment towards the Jewish community,” read the note from restaurateur Antônio Siqueira Campos.

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The message from Campos was “peaceful and purposeful,” the Jewish federation’s president Sonia Sette told JTA.

“We’re perplexed, the material exhibited is extremely offensive towards the State of Israel. The images provoked outrage to the members of our community and beyond. We consider it fundamental that the serious issues involving Israel and Palestinians be treated with responsibility, respect and in a peace-seeking manner,” read a statement from the Jewish federation.

“Manifestations such as these exposed in the restaurant, in addition to conveying false concepts, contribute to spreading a message of hatred, shaking relations and reducing the path of understanding,” the statement said.

The Palestinian Alliance of Recife published a statement reportedly signed by the restaurateur’s partner, who reiterated his position as anti-Israel militant, using racist speech including words such as genocide, apartheid and more.

Partner João Asfor is of Palestinian descent. In a statement to the newspaper he wrote, in part: “I am a Palestinian! I am proud of my homeland and I am not deaf to the suffering of my people. I do not accept the genocidal Israeli government in the same way I do not accept the stupid Brazilian coup government.” He noted that the two partners in the restaurant have different opinions, and also noted that he has Jewish friends.

In April, a local private school decorated a third-grade classroom with Nazi flags during a lesson on totalitarian regimes. The school ended up removing a Facebook post praising the teacher — who also wore a swastika band around his arm like a Nazi soldier — after it drew major criticism.

Recife is the site of the Kahal Zur Israel temple, the first synagogue established in the Americas, in 1637, during the short period that the Dutch ruled a small area of the then-Portuguese colony.