ISRAELI BAR BOYCOTTS IDF, SETTLEMENTS

New Tel Aviv Bar The Rogatka Takes Veganism To The Extreme

Bringing the Boycott Back Home:
Israeli Bar Boycotts IDF, Settlements

June 21, 2009

If the combination of the words “vegan” and “bar” doesn’t make sense to you, you’re not alone.

Because beer is made of hops, malt, and yeast, right? No animals harmed or used in the production of any of those.

But The Rogatka (or “Slingshot”), a new “vegan” bar that opened up last week, defines itself not according to the content of its goods but by the ideals that it encourages.

And so for all you meat and dairy avoiders out there ~ you are welcome with open arms at the bar’s location on Yitzhak Sadeh street.

The ideologically focused bar was opened by the same “anarchist collective” that used to run the Salon Mazal bar off of King George street. The founders of the bar say that they hope their watering hole will attract environmentalists, left-wing activists, and other like minded people with their cheap drinks and fair trade products.

And as a self proclaimed “anarchist collective”… they will also demonstrate what some would consider to be extreme views. The bar bans Israel Defense Forces soldiers in uniform, the carrying of weapons, and boycotts products made in West Bank settlements.

In the words of Adi Vintner, one of the bar’s founders, “we can’t hold views against discrimination and oppression, while at the same time support the infrastructure that exploits human beings and other animals. We wanted to show it’s possible and even worthwhile to live differently.”

Though one might argue that this business isn’t going to make a big difference in destroying the Occupation, I give them a ton of credit for their moxie. Someone’s got to show the way. May others follow suit.

So would you have a drink there? And if you have already, please let us know.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE COMMENTS FROM THE READERS OF HA'ARETZ.

WOULDN'T BE MY WATERING HOLE. Another example of the misguided intentions of the left. Curious to know, though, will you have a guard at the door? If ever there was a magnet for the would-be terrorist this has surely got to be it - and how dare you ban the very people who keep you safe? The mind boggles.

While this goes against the grain, it is logical from a humanistic perspective.

I give it a week.

Syria must be happily bemused at the Israeli idiots of Tel Aviv.

Soldiers and miluimnikim: go there now and stay. Organize shifts if need be. This fiasco has turned me from `Peace Now` to calling on the pioneers from Yehuda and Shomron to act against this bar. And yes, until today I refered to the same as the West Bank etc. Come on Baruch, do something!

Thank you for taking a principled stand and for demonstrating not all Israelis are war-lovers and racists. I`ll be sure to visit next time I`m in Israel and will tell my Israeli friends to visit in my absence.

Then they can be deported as being non-jews ;-). Just think about the possibilities this opens up! At last here is a chance that something useful might be accomplished by the Rabbinate.

I cannot understand how the Israeli people put up with such traitors. I hope the new Tel Aviv bar attracts a lot of drunken Arabs and drug addicts. It won`t last. What traitors!!!