It wasn’t the loss of sales that upset the Taste of Israel store owner. Rather, he is now worried about his safety.
By Atara Beck, World Israel News
Last Friday, a small group of anti-Israel protesters rioted with Palestinian flags and threatened the life of a store owner in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in the Greater Toronto Area.
At the Chabad Gate Plaza, situated in a largely Jewish area of Thornhill, a few blocks north of Toronto, several protesters managed to practically shut down the plaza for over three hours as Orthodox Jews were shopping for Shabbat.
Only those coming by foot managed to enter the area, as the parking lot was completely taken over by the anti-Israel activists who made claims such as that Israel is killing Palestinian children.
But Gabriel, the owner of Taste of Israel, which sells a variety of Israeli products, told World Israel News that it wasn’t the loss of sales that was upsetting him. Rather, he is now worried about his safety.
According to Gabriel, who asked not to publish his family name, one of the leaders of the gang – a woman – claimed that they have nothing against the Jews, just Zionists. She also told him they know where he lives and would come to his home.
“Happening now: Protesters screaming free Palestine, yelling anti-Semitic slurs and intimidating Jews in #Thornhill outside a plaza of mainly kosher establishments. This is NOT anti Zionism —it’s a blatant act of #antisemitic hate which must be condemned by everyone. #cdnpoli,” Thornhill Member of Parliament Melissa Lantsman tweeted during the demonstration.
Gabriel added that on Sunday morning, he got two anonymous phone calls threatening him and his family. “We are coming to kill you,” they said.
Gabriel was disappointed with the police, saying they refused to disperse the crowd, which was infringing on private property. “They did nothing about it,” he said. “They said people have a right to protest.”
Regarding the loss of business, “this is not about money,” he said. “It’s about police incompetence. Tomorrow, they’ll come to kill us.”
A video of the event shows police arresting a protester.
“I am aware that there was a small protest in Vaughan on Friday. My understanding is that one person was arrested for a breach of the peace, but I am not aware of any other offences having occurred,” York Regional Police told World Israel News on Sunday.
“The role of police during a protest is generally to monitor the situation, ensure the safety of our citizens, and respond as needed if an offence occurs, while respecting the fundamental rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“Any incident reported to police will be investigated and in this case the investigation is in its early stages. We encourage anyone who is a victim of a threat to contact police and report the incident.”