Invercargill, New Zealand – Cafe Owner Apologizes to Israelis

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    Cafe owner Mustafa Tekinkaya has been inundated with calls from around the world. including from readers of Vos Iz Neias, apologized to the IsraelisInvercargill, New Zealand – An Invercargill cafe owner who last month refused to serve two Israeli women because of their nationality has apologised for his actions and welcomed them back into his establishment.

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    Mevlana Cafe owner Mustafa Tekinkaya told Southland-based Israeli woman Natalie Bennie and her visiting sister Tamara Shefa to leave his cafe last month.

    A Turkish Muslim, he said Israelis weren’t welcome in his Esk St cafe until Israel stopped killing innocent women and babies in the Gaza Strip.

    His actions caused widespread condemnation in New Zealand and abroad but Mrs Bennie yesterday said Mr Tekinkaya had apologised to her in person at a neutral Invercargill venue on Wednesday.

    He had also told her she was welcome back into his cafe, she said.

    “To be honest, I probably will go if I am with my husband or someone like that.”

    It was a relief to finally resolve the issue, she said.

    “After meeting him in person, he is just a human being like the rest of us. Everyone trips up every so often and I suppose I am just hoping that was a trip-up.”

    Mr Tekinkaya had also apologised to her and her sister, who had returned to Israel, by letter, she said.

    Mrs Bennie would not reveal the other outcomes of the month-long negotiations, mediated by the Human Rights Commission, saying she was bound by a confidentiality clause.

    The past month had been stressful but she said she was grateful for the support that had flooded in from the public in the form of cards and phone calls.

    Mr Tekinkaya’s wife, Joanne, yesterday said they would not be commenting.


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    11 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    He is acting like a mensch and apologizing. Some cynics will say he is worried about the backlash on his parnassah. I think he now legitimately understands that the issue of Hamas is much more complex than the simplistic way the response of EY to the rockets was portrayed in the international media. He may still sympathize with the palestinians but understands that Israelis have a problem that must deal with.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I gues his pocket book started to hurt

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    “…other outcomes of the month-long negotiations, mediated by the Human Rights Commission…”

    Duh. He was forced to do this as a result of the month-long negotiations mediated by the Human Rights Commission, which probably threatened big-time legal action. He’s no mentch, he just doesn’t want to lose his money!

    A.
    A.
    15 years ago

    I hope people aren’t dumb enough to forgive him. You can’t be the type of person who carries out such a racist stunt like he did and then suddenly realizes the error of their ways a month later. He either apologized because legally he was advised to, or because he was losing business after his plan backfired. Either way, tough ****, and I hope the Israeli women aren’t stupid enough to spend a penny in his shop.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    She should never eat there!! Why is she bound by confidentiality?? The coffee does not taste good??? He must be losing $$$$$$$$$$$$$

    me
    me
    15 years ago

    While it’s very nice of this turkish moslem for inviting the Israelis back into his treif resturaunt after realizing that Israeli women in New zealand have nothing to with what the Israeli Army does in Gaza, I however would not heat in a turkish Moslems resturaunt because the Turkish Moslems murdered 1.5 million Armenians. This was part of Hitler’s y”sh incentive to the murder the Jews. Who remembers the Armenians? I do Mr. Mustafa, I do.

    That aside, I think he looks like a YU guy. is that you TIDE?