Tel Aviv vegan bar bans Israeli soldiers, settlement products

Tel Aviv – A new Tel Aviv vegan bar run by anarchists bans products made in settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and denies entry to Israeli soldiers in uniform, the Ha’aretz daily reported Sunday. The bar does not seek to make a profit and its founders, an “anarchist collective”, say they hope it will bring together left-wing activists, environmentalists, and other such folk, under the banner of cheap drinks and fair trade products.

The report said the establishment’s ban on soldiers in uniform an the carrying of weapons, along with its boycott on products made in settlements, stems from what employees see as the connection between all forms of oppression, from the slaughter of animals to sexism and occupation.

“We can’t hold views against discrimination and oppression, while at the same time support the infrastructure that exploits human beings and other animals,” Ha’aretz quoted Adi Vinter, one of the bar’s founders, as saying.

“We wanted to show it’s possible and even worthwhile to live differently,” he said.

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(http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/274167%2Ctel-aviv-vegan-bar-bans-israeli-soldiers-settlement-products.html)