An Australian hair salon became the target of pro-Israel protests on Monday, disrupting the business, after refusing service to an Israeli man last week.
The Juniper Salon in Bentleigh said in a Tuesday social media statement that an Israeli customer had come into the business last Monday for a haircut, passing her chalkboard that read "feed Gaza now."
When the customer sat in the chair and the proprietor asked him where he was from, according to the salon, he responded that he was from Israel. The barber then followed up her question by asking if he was in the Israel Defense Forces, and the man confirmed that he had been.
"I told him that I wouldn't be able to cut his hair and asked him to leave as I am opposed to the actions of that army," said the business. "He left the salon."
Pro-Israel groups such as Lions of Zion accused the Victoria salon of verbally harassing the customer, and Australia For Israel asserted that the owner had used an antisemitic trope by alleging the customer had murdered children. They further charged that the salon had discriminated against the Israeli man based on his nationality and Jewish faith.
Salon owner claimed she 'was well within her rights'
The Juniper Salon owner argued in her statement that she was within her rights to refuse service on the grounds that she abhorred the actions of the IDF.
Lions of Zion called for a protest on Monday, demanding that Israelis and Jews "be treated equally with the same respect as everyone else."
Dozens rallied outside the salon, with some participants waving Israeli or Australian flags, according to a Monday Lions of Zion Instagram video.
"Jews fight back," said Lions of Zion. "We will not accept discrimination, we will not stay silent, and we will not beg for acceptance. We demand respect!"
Australia for Israel said on social media that the salon had been bombarded with negative reviews on Google, but that many of them had been removed.
The Salon said that they had been subjected to a "campaign of intimidation," beginning with an ambush interview last Thursday by Rebel News reporter Avi Yemini, and later the protest on Monday, which the owner said required police intervention. The Salon also claimed that the business had been vandalized and had received death threats. Victoria Police said that police had officers present at the rally, and had set up a mobile CCTV camera to monitor the site, but weren't aware of any criminal offences.
The Salon had been scheduled to close in September and had planned to take appointments until then, but the business said "the intimidation campaign has caused a temporary disruption to our usual service."