A dislike sign based on the Facebook like sign
A dislike sign based on the Facebook like signSophie Gordon/Flash90

A city council member from Meretz called upon the people of Raanana to boycott a restaurant in the city for having taken upon itself to become kosher and to be closed on Shabbat. The boycott initiative was written by council member Edith Diamant on the Meretz Raanana facebook page.

On Friday the post was removed due to the overwhelming critique which the post received.

"On Friday a post that expressed a personal and inappropriately placed opinion was removed from the Meretz Raanana facebook page. We apologize for the misunderstanding and for causing offense to anyone due to this post. It is our way to promote and encourage places of entertainment to be open during the weekend. However, we also respect everyone's legitimate right to choose how they wish to do business," a post on the site said. 

The restaurant "River" is located on one of Raanana's main intersections, and has recently made the decision to become kosher and close on Shabbat. 

Diamant had posted on the Meretz Raanana facebook page earlier that she was "personally insulted" by the closure and that people should boycott the restaurant. Her original post read. "River restaurant in Raanana as of this weekend has chosen to become kosher and will be closed on Friday night and Saturday. From what I understand the restaurant has a new owner and the issue is important to them. As a veteran patron of the restaurant ad as a result of very few restaurants being open in the city on Friday night and Shabbat and even fewer who make deliveries, I am personally affronted at the change and I will make sure to not patronize the restaurant on other days as well. I encourage everyone who finds this issue important to do likewise. It is important that the 'free community' of Raanana makes its wishes known and votes with its feet if we want to others to care about our needs." 

The call to boycott the restaurant unleashed a tempest of reactions. Interior Minister Aryeh Deri attacked the initiative via his twitter account. "To the members of Meretz Raanana: You wish to boycott a restaurant because it became kosher? It is very disheartening that you would do this. You are insulting millions of Jews in Israel and around the world."