Planned Philadelphia boycott rally targets Jewish businesses on eve of Kristallnacht

The demonstration is scheduled just one day before the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the November 9-10, 1938 Nazi pogrom during which Jewish businesses were vandalized, synagogues were burned and Jews were assaulted across Germany and Austria.

By World Israel News Staff

An anti-Israel bicycle rally targeting Jewish-owned businesses in Philadelphia has sparked outrage, with Jewish organizations and political leaders condemning what they describe as a blatant campaign of antisemitic intimidation, disturbingly scheduled on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht.

The so-called “Boycott Ride,” scheduled for Sunday, November 8, at 11:30 a.m., will begin in Rittenhouse Square in Center City before targeting several Jewish- and Israeli-owned establishments.

Promotional materials for the rally feature the slogans “No business for Zionists” and “These Zionist establishments must go,” making clear the organizers’ intention to pressure businesses they associate with Israel.

Among the targeted establishments are Dizengoff, Huda, Schlesinger’s Delicatessen, Mac Mart, K’Far Cafe and Goldie.

The rally is being organized by Philly Bike On Your Left in collaboration with Philly Writers Against the War on Gaza, Boycott CookNSolo and Philly Solidarity Calendar.

The timing has only intensified the outrage.

The demonstration is scheduled just one day before the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the November 9-10, 1938 Nazi pogrom during which Jewish businesses were vandalized, synagogues were burned and Jews were assaulted across Germany and Austria.

Nearly nine decades later, Jewish businesses in an American city are once again being singled out for an organized campaign of economic exclusion, this time under the banner of anti-Zionism.

The Anti-Defamation League’s Philadelphia branch, the American Jewish Committee’s Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey chapter, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and StandWithUs issued a joint condemnation.

“Let’s be clear: This is antisemitism. It is Jew-Hatred, plain and simple,” the organizations declared.

“We will not allow antisemitism to be disguised as activism. We will not accept efforts to intimidate Jewish businesses or drive them out of Philadelphia. And we will not remain silent.”

Pennsylvania’s two US senators, Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dave McCormick, also condemned the planned rally.

McCormick called it a “disgusting attempt to intimidate Philadelphia’s Jewish businesses,” drawing comparisons to the historical persecution of Jews.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday was equally critical, describing the timing on the eve of Kristallnacht as “unsettling.”

“By explicitly targeting businesses because their owners are Jewish, the organizers are engaging in a form of discrimination that falls back on some of the oldest antisemitic tropes and tactics in history,” Sunday said.

“This is not simply a protest directed at the policies of Israel,” he added, arguing that Jewish Pennsylvanians were being singled out over policies they had no ability to influence.

Governor Josh Shapiro’s office also denounced the event.

“This bike ride, masquerading as a protest to advance the cause of justice, is nothing more than blatant antisemitism designed to intimidate and drive Jewish businesses out of our communities,” a spokesperson told Fox News.

Jewish community organizations have called for authorities to ensure the safety of the targeted businesses, their employees and customers.

Meanwhile, local supporters are organizing a community food crawl to patronize the establishments targeted by the boycott.

The controversy underscores a troubling reality: A demonstration ostensibly directed against Israeli government policies is instead targeting neighborhood restaurants and Jewish business owners in Philadelphia, reviving the ugly practice of singling out Jewish establishments for economic punishment.

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