Gett Taxi denies racism as lawsuit alleges discrimination against Arab drivers
Global firm headquartered in Tel Aviv defends its 'Mehadrin' service allowing users to avoid hailing taxis that drive on Shabbat in Jerusalem
Israeli taxi-hailing app Gett Taxi has denied any racism after it was sued by human rights lawyers for discrimination over its feature allowing users to avoid hailing taxis that drive on Shabbat in Jerusalem.
The lawsuit centres on the firm’s “Mehadrin” service which allows users to order a taxi that is never driven on the Jewish Sabbath. Activists say this is a way of excluding Arab Muslim and Christian drivers, but the firm said it could by anyone.
A Gett spokesman said the Mehadrin service “was launched in order to satisfy a need for a specific sector in the population, to which, according to its faith, is unable to reserve taxis that cannot drive on the Sabbath and on Jewish holiday”.
However lawyer Asaf Pink said: “They give it a religious title but in fact this is a proxy for a racist service that provides taxis with Jewish drivers… Of course, they can’t just say ‘we don’t want Arabs’.”
Gett is a global firm that also works with black cabs in the UK. In response to the lawsuit it said: “Every taxi driver who is interested in belonging to this fleet, including non-Jews, can join, on the condition that the taxi does now drive on Shabbat and during Jewish holidays.”
The lawsuit, which is demanding about £35 million in compensation from the firm’s founders, follows a two-year investigation into the firm conducted by groups such as the Israel Religious Action Center.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
