Philadelphia activists plan boycott ride targeting Jewish-owned businesses

Several anti-Israel groups in Philadelphia are organizing a “Boycott Ride” scheduled for November 8 at Rittenhouse Square. The event, organized by Philly Bike On Your Left in collaboration with Philly Writers Against the War on Gaza, Boycott CookNSolo, and Philly Solidarity Calendar, aims to target specific Jewish-owned and Israeli-themed businesses.

Promotional materials for the ride state, “No business for Zionists,” and “These Zionist establishments must go.” The organizers have named several local establishments to target, including Dizengoff, Huda, Schlesinger’s Restaurant and Delicatessen, Mac Mart, K’Far Cafe, and Goldie.

The planned event falls on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 Nazi-orchestrated pogrom against Jewish communities in Germany and Austria. In response, the Anti-Defamation League of Philadelphia, the American Jewish Committee of Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and StandWithUs issued a joint statement calling the ride “Jew-hatred, plain and simple.” The groups argued that targeting businesses based on the identity or perceived political beliefs of owners should alarm the public.