Do you think the cafe owners are right to refuse serving Iraelis?

Give us the name of the cafe so we can give them a piece of our mind. Thank goodness we don't all think like them!!
Bless NZ and bless its people.

It's a really good example of trying to improve relations between these two warring peoples isn't it. Let's all move to a completely foreign, Christian country at the bottom of the world and then think we're going to make a difference to world peace by continuing the same argument and fighting here. Cut me I bleed, 8 pints red. I'll bet the same goes for each of the parties involved in this. If you want to make a difference, stay here, ask them to dine in your cafe, and sit down and talk. Really TALK - talk about the middle east, talk about the mutual origins of your collective faiths, talk about life, love, faith what ever colour or shape it comes in. THAT is how we will conquer this bitterness that continues to pervade ... divide and conquer and the "powers" love it, right down to affecting cafes in Invercargill!

I feel that if the cafe owner discriminates against any people in this lovely country they should be shipped back to where they came from, and if the cafe owner is a NZer he or she should be ashamed to be a Kiwi.

Just to remind you that Hamas is in fact the Palestinians elected political representatives. Is it therefore unacceptable for them to take arms against oppression? I think also that we should step away from this notion of people being banned as individuals and acknowledge that it is because they represent a state whose actions this cafe owner doesn't support, does he have to just because it hurts some peoples feelings? Or notion of an apolitical NZ?
There is absolutely no doubt that the Israeli response is disproportionate - a few vague rocket attacks and stone throwing vs precision guided modern weaponry destroying one of the most densely populated places in the world, not to mention the embargo prior to the attack and who is going to rebuild it now?
We lack the lobby groups that control American politics but apparently their reach even makes it to us here. The cafe has the right to stand up for what they believe. We should all have the courage to be counted, not hide war crimes behind distance, PC and propaganda.

It's a disgrace to prevent people from eating at a cafe, just because they happen to be from Israel.
While we're at it, why not bar all Hamas sympathisers and or members. They are the ones who have been firing rockets into Israel for the last eight years and using the Palestinians.
I feel for all the innocents who have been caught up in this very one sided war and now Hamas is again stock piling their weapons.

It appears that the woods can't be seen for the trees maybe and that some terms are wrongly being used interchangeably. I thought that the cafe owner banned Israelis from his cafe not Jews. Lets be clear about the secular and religious distinction. Nor is there a claim that all Israelis are bad or evil, I think most people would respect their right to safety and security but question their methods and maybe motivation (election in a few weeks. As this conflict has simmered hot and cold for thousands of years, the bloodshed inflicted this week will change nothing, peace and dialogue as equals is the only way this will change.
As for Indigos suggestion that boycotts should be fair, standing up at any stage to be counted has to be the right thing to do. I would hate the fact that 20th century PC and political views that stifle criticism of Israeli aggression and oppression make my silence seem like support.
So I say good on him for taking a stance and having the courage to do so. This is not racism or bigotry this is sending a message that New Zealanders deplore the methods chosen the Israelis, is it now un-PC to protest?

Without going into in-depth historical reasons for supporting Israel or not, the thing I find most objectionable is the fact that this type of behaviour is happening in New Zealand. I came here from the UK with my family and have been amazed at the mutual respect for all cultures shown by New Zealanders. The actions of Mr Cavanagh are those of a bigot and a bully. If he is truly moved and wants to help the people of Gaza maybe he should head out there rather than take the moral high ground against women?

I find this protest bizzare. If you are going to discriminate against a peoples at least be consistant. Ban all Americans for the slaughter in Iraq. Ban all Chinese for the barbaric invasion of Tibet! Or how about treating everyone on NZ soil without petty minded discrimination.

This is totally unacceptable! my grandmother emigrated over to Israel in the late 60s and if she wae refused service in cafes in New Zealand while visiting here what would she think its about time owners in cafes were put in their place whatever happenned to friendly faces and people getting welcomed by nz or are the ads on tv welcoming people from all over a farce.

Everything you can do to stop the war on innocents should be encouraged. If you believe in six degrees of separation, then what you do here will somehow be heard in Israel.

How come Israel can call it a war, is it a war when you kill thousands and terrorism if you only kill hundreds? Or does it depend on you armoury budget? Throw stones and home made rockets and you are a terrorist, send state of the art rockets and you are in a war!

Personally, I think the Israeli's who were refused should be grateful, the cafe owner could have made a more distasteful protest in their meal! That would have been harder to swallow:)

Don't forget that many Jews and Israelis oppose what their government is doing in Gaza. Apparently, an anti-Zionist Jewish group in Montreal wrote a letter criticizing the Israeli govt. By far this is the dumbest thing he could do; to bar too Israelis from a bar just based on their nationality. I suggest the cafe owner read Noam Chomsky and Norman Finkelstein's books before judging all Israelis/Jews as evil. Those guys are Jews themselves. As the good book says, judge and you will yourself be judged.

It's not acceptable here in New Zealand to discriminate against people because of their country of origin. We dont want muslim vs israeli problems here. If the cafe owner really wants to make a stand he should go to Gaza and try to help with peace efforts there. Picking on two ladies out for a morning tea isn't the bravest of stands to make, is it?