Barring an Israeli food truck from a Philadelphia street fair draws public ire

[Dial H For Hero]

https://www.inquirer.com/news/israeli-food-truck-threats-street-fair-20210620.html

A decision to disinvite a food truck selling Israeli food from a Philadelphia food festival scheduled for Sunday drew public criticism and dismay that resulted in the cancellation of the event.

Moshava Philly, a mobile Israeli food business, was supposed to participate in Taste of Home, billed as an “event celebrating diversity through food, art, entertainment, community,” presented by nonprofits Eat Up the Borders and Sunflower Philly.

On Saturday, Moshava posted on Instagram that the organizers told the food truck not to come because of rumors of a protest because of the Israeli business’ presence and that they opted to “uninvite us for fear that the protesters would get aggressive and threaten their event.”

With ongoing backlash, Sunflower Philly, one of the North Fifth Street event sponsors, announced Sunday on social media that the entire fair was canceled.

[PRETZEL]

1. They were talking about that this morning on the local news,

but from what the local channel I was watching, it's a bit more than just rumors of backlash. From what they were saying, there was apparently an agreement between this vendor and a Palestinian vendor that if one couldn't make, then neither could make it. That was the reason the Israeli vendor was asked not to attend.

[brooklynite]

2. Next up: a boycott of the Russian Tea Room?

[Effete Snob]

4. These stories are so much better without facts

NBC10 is the Philadelphia NBC affiliate:


According to NBC10, Powell said that at previous events, food trucks from both Israeli and Palestinian proprietors were present, and that an agreement had been made in the past that one truck would not be present without the other.

Powell said the Palestinian truck couldn’t attend, according to NBC10. “The fact that we couldn’t accurately represent both of them is the reason why we canceled the event today,” Powell said.

[brooklynite]

5. Just as silly...

Whatever you think about Israel vs Palestinian politics, that has nothing to do with Israel vs Palestinian cuisine prepared by Americans in an American city.

[Effete Snob]

6. It was nonetheless, an agreement that the parties had reached previously

I don't think getting people to agree, and honoring those agreements is silly.

[Mosby]

11. But thats not why the Israeli food truck was disinvited

The organizers claimed that they were getting threats, so for peoples safety, they recinded the invite.

Now they have capitulated altogether, by canceling the entire event.

[Effete Snob]

12. It's precisely why the agreement was made in the past

Apparently, there are people who get upset if there is just the one without the other.

Since people attending the event are unlikely to know about the previous agreement, then there are always numbnuts who are going to interpret the presence of one and not the other as some sort of statement about taking sides.

It is a small community organization in Philadelphia which does not have appropriate means to ensure security and likely does not have a whole lot of insurance. So, no matter what they did, someone was going to be upset. Therefore, they cancelled the event.

The OP does not mention the prior agreement, and thus omits a piece of the complete picture.

[BuddhaGirl]

10. Maybe both trucks were concerned for their safety?

Hence the agreement?

[Effete Snob]

14. Sometimes keeping the peace requires "stupid things"

But, I'm obviously in the minority on thinking that what people agree to do is up to them.

[JI7]

7. That's stupid.

[Effete Snob]

8. Getting people to agree to things is stupid?

Who is stupid? Everyone involved in the prior agreement?

[Dr. Strange]

9. Yeah, it does sound stupid.

Like, I think giving both the same opportunity is cool, I have no problem with that. But if one of them is unable to show up (or just doesn't want to), then fine, but there's no reason to drop the other.

[Effete Snob]

13. If one is there and the other one isn't

Then there is always going to be an idiot who does not know the circumstances and is going to make a conclusion about taking sides.

That is why they had the previous agreement.

[JI7]

17. The agreement was about proving the opportunity to both which was done . And these same people will

complain regardless. It's stupid to do something like this over stupidity .

[Effete Snob]

18. Here's more background on the idiot in charge

He's got a BS in "sports and recreation management" and from other sources, it looks like he had a promising career with Comcast (which manages several large venues in Philadelphia) and gave it up to do rinky-dink non-profit stuff like this in the slums...

https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/sunflower-philly-kensington/

Not a rocket scientist, for sure - picking up chump change to try to cash in on gentrification of that violent, depressed area.

[Poeraria]

3. Shameful.

[RegularJam]

15. Truly sad when hate overcomes good food.

Fuckers.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

16. Arggh

[Bucky]

20. Looks like a point on the board for terrorism

There's plenty of good ways to protest Israel's behavior toward Palestinians. Taking it out on foodies is unjustifiable.