WAYNE, NJ – A rabbi in Wayne, New Jersey said a female member of his congregation reported a coffee barista at the local Starbucks had a message for her, that Palestine will take over Israel.
When she got her coffee, she realized the sleeve didn’t just have her name on it, it said, “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free!”
The incident happened last Tuesday at the Wannaque Avenue Starbucks in Pompton Lakes.
“While some who utilize this slogan may interpret it as a general plea for Palestinian rights and equality, many understand it in its plain text reading as a call for a Palestinian state extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, territory that includes the State of Israel, implying the dismantling of the Jewish state,” the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement. “Indeed, this rallying cry has long been used by the anti-Israel terrorist organizations such as Hamas and the PFLP, which seek Israel’s destruction through violent means.”
Starbucks has since issued the following statement on the incident:
“We want everyone in our stores to embrace diversity and treat each other with dignity. Serving as a welcoming place for all is core to who we are as a company. Upon learning of the incident, we took immediate action to investigate, and we are working directly with this customer and their congregation to make this right,” the company said.