by Yoav Itiel
The talk of the day in Arab society is the tahini that comes from Nazareth, with a line. The good news of Tahinat al-Erez ("the cedar") is a contribution to the community, in many areas. Something that is common among entrepreneurs with a different spirit, such as Ben & Jerry's. But when a few days ago, al-Erez's CEO, Julia Zohar, announced on social media that her family company would donate money to the LGBT Association for the Establishment of an Aid and Attention Line in Arabic, a storm broke out.
This was the first time an Israeli-owned Israeli food company had expressed support. Public in the proud community, an explosive issue in Arab society in general and Muslim society in particular, following the move, Muslim clerics called for a boycott of the society and videos were circulated showing its products being taken off supermarket shelves and even thrown in the trash, while members of the proud community called for buying from its products.
The result is unclear, not even for a company that is still studying the impact of the call for a boycott and says that preliminary data will only be available this week. The economic damage is probably negligible, since the company caters mainly to a Hebrew-speaking Jewish audience. According to one estimate, only about 5% of the company's products are marketed through shops and supermarkets in Arab localities.
CEO Julie Zohar said that the struggle in recent days in the media affects her mentally. "I was more upset," she testified, "but the amount of sympathy and love people sent us and supported us gave me some strength.”
Zohar emphasized that for her, there is no struggle. "I'm not going to court for that. I am asking God for forgiveness for all those who have done me harm." However, she wonders that "if I were in the US I do not know if such a thing would have caused a boycott."
"Everyone knows Julia Zohar as an amazing woman, a mother to a lovely daughter, who constantly contributes to all kinds of purposes and in Arab society everyone loves and respects her," said actor-clown Sarhan Mahamid, who a few months ago participated in an advertisement for al-Erez tahini. "When I was in the factory in the photos, I saw Muslims, Christians, Jews, natives, immigrants from Russia, everyone smiling, working together in a warm atmosphere in a factory that supports workers. I felt it was a home for them and I felt hosted at home, not just a factory."
Mahamid believes it will be a passing wave. "What appeared was a decision by the Islamic Movement. Someone wrote. Someone took a screenshot. Distributed on the net and within hours everything erupted." He said, "It will not stay forever. It will end as it comes. There are real problems. Every day there is murder. Let them go out and make a mess about it."
"Every Arab family has at least one person who is LGBT"
"I have stopped understanding the outrage over this contribution among religious Muslims. Apparently I should not understand either," said Khader Abu Saif, 33, of Jaffa, a member of a Muslim family and active in the gay community. "But it should be noted that alongside all those who condemned al-Erez for the support, there were also many voices of Arabs who condemned the defenders. It shows you that we are experiencing some change and starting to gain some power. Which is LGBT, and a lot of families are dealing with it today. "This is perhaps what really frightens those who condemned al-Erez. Read more via Walla