Jewish model booted by Uber driver after mentioning Israel

33-year-old Canadian model says her Uber driver in Toronto kicked her out of his car after he heard her mention Israel over the phone.

By World Israel News Staff

A Jewish model from Canada was kicked out by an Uber driver after he overheard her mentioning the State of Israel during a conversation on her phone.

The incident occurred last Sunday just after midnight in Toronto, when Miriam Mattova, a 33-year-old dual Slovak-Canadian citizen, was riding home in an Uber arranged for her by a friend.

During the ride, Mattova, a model who was the 2012 Miss Slovakia, spoke with a friend during the ride home.

At one point in the conversation, Mattova casually mentioned that she had visited Israel recently.

Immediately afterward, the Uber driver pulled over at a busy intersection and ordered Mattova to exit the vehicle.

Mattova asked for an explanation, with the driver responding that she did not feel “comfortable” completing the drive, adding that “they do not drive Jewish people,” Mattova said.

When the driver insisted she leave, Mattova got out of the car and ordered another ride.

Mattova and the woman who ordered the ride for her filed complaints with Uber, which responded on December 4 by both email and telephone.

The email included an apology, according to Mattova, in which the company said it was “following up with this driver to try to ensure an incident like this does not occur again.”

Uber refunded the fare for the ride but did not state whether it had suspended or terminated the driver involved.

“A serious incident involving hate should trigger immediate action within 24 hours. Anything less allows prejudice to just go unchecked. Basically, it took them four days to get back to me,” Mattova told Canada’s National Post.

“The incident I experienced was a direct act of antisemitism, and the reason I’m speaking about it is because moments like this must be confronted openly.”

Uber responded to the report with a statement to the newspaper, condemning the driver’s behavior as “unacceptable” and pledging that it had “taken appropriate action” against the driver.