Jewish restaurateur and pro-Palestine protester in Auckland has her Instagram account closed

NZ Herald13 Nov, 2023 12:16 AM2 mins to readA Jewish owner of a downtown Auckland restaurant and her daughter have had their Instagram accounts closed amid rising tensions over Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip.Yael Shochat, who runs the Middle Eastern restaurant Ima, and her daughter, Abigail Allan, are involved in the protest group Jews Against Occupation, which advocates for a ceasefire in Gaza. They have attended pro-Palestine rallies in Auckland.Shochat said the social media accounts were closed at the same time at about noon on Saturday.Her account was used for Ima in Fort St, which has 7200 followers, and she says the business is set to suffer financial consequences because social media is an important vehicle for promoting events and the catering business.“It is how I talk to my customers. It is my megaphone,” she said.Shochat said she had been very outspoken about her views towards Israel’s actions in Gaza, saying Auckland’s Jewish community does not dine at her restaurant.“I don’t care. I’m not opening my restaurant to the Jewish community,” she said.Meanwhile, police made three arrests at a pro-Palestine protest in downtown Auckland yesterday which they said was attended by “a few thousand”.The demonstrations were “mainly peaceful” but
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