Although many patrons of the popular Rimon Cafe in Jerusalem may have been shocked by yesterday's news that the Arab chef and two Arab waiters plotted to poison the Jewish customers, at least one person was not surprised. Avraham Feld of Jerusalem told Arutz-7 today:
"Last year, after the explosion that tore apart part of Luntz St. and Ben-Yehuda St. [and killed 11 young people], I arrived shortly afterwards at the Rimon Cafe… One of the things that overwhelmed me was the site of the kitchen staff of the Cafe Rimon in a state of joyous celebration - patting each other on the back, jumping up and down, singing songs in Arabic - it was like at the end of a soccer match when your team wins… They were marching and striding back and forth, so full of energy - it was amazing to me…"
The chef, who was indicted yesterday on charges of membership in a terror organization (Hamas) and aiding an enemy during wartime, told investigators that he learned from a Hamas website how to poison coffee and other drinks without being detected. He planned to use odorless and tasteless poisons that would strike the victim with heart attack-like symptoms some 12-15 hours after ingestion.
The owner of the Rimon Cafe said he was "shocked" at the news of the conspiracy, adding that the chef was employed there for three years. He denied Feld's report about the Arab kitchen staff's joy, saying the entire story was fabricated.
Many Jerusalemites are not as confident. Arutz-7's Effie Meir, who toured downtown Jerusalem today, found a group of men who said that they used to frequent Rimon daily, but recently changed over to a nearby establishment that employs only Jews. They said they began to fear the fact that the kitchen staff was largely Arab. One said, "Call it what you want, but I don't want an Arab to serve me. I've heard too many cases…" A woman told Meir that she feels unnerved in places where the workers are "our cousins," adding, "I buy meat at a butcher in Kiryat HaYovel, and he has two workers who are 'our cousins,' and sometimes they are there alone without supervision. It is disturbing…"
Ma'ariv newspaper editorialized today about the recent revelations of Israeli-Arab involvement in terrorism: "...the principal victims will be those Arab workers who will lose their livelihoods..." If in fact customers begin to think twice before patronizing establishments with Arab workers, the ramifications could be far ranging, affecting Jewish employment rates, ease of Arab mobility in Jewish areas, and more.
"Last year, after the explosion that tore apart part of Luntz St. and Ben-Yehuda St. [and killed 11 young people], I arrived shortly afterwards at the Rimon Cafe… One of the things that overwhelmed me was the site of the kitchen staff of the Cafe Rimon in a state of joyous celebration - patting each other on the back, jumping up and down, singing songs in Arabic - it was like at the end of a soccer match when your team wins… They were marching and striding back and forth, so full of energy - it was amazing to me…"
The chef, who was indicted yesterday on charges of membership in a terror organization (Hamas) and aiding an enemy during wartime, told investigators that he learned from a Hamas website how to poison coffee and other drinks without being detected. He planned to use odorless and tasteless poisons that would strike the victim with heart attack-like symptoms some 12-15 hours after ingestion.
The owner of the Rimon Cafe said he was "shocked" at the news of the conspiracy, adding that the chef was employed there for three years. He denied Feld's report about the Arab kitchen staff's joy, saying the entire story was fabricated.
Many Jerusalemites are not as confident. Arutz-7's Effie Meir, who toured downtown Jerusalem today, found a group of men who said that they used to frequent Rimon daily, but recently changed over to a nearby establishment that employs only Jews. They said they began to fear the fact that the kitchen staff was largely Arab. One said, "Call it what you want, but I don't want an Arab to serve me. I've heard too many cases…" A woman told Meir that she feels unnerved in places where the workers are "our cousins," adding, "I buy meat at a butcher in Kiryat HaYovel, and he has two workers who are 'our cousins,' and sometimes they are there alone without supervision. It is disturbing…"
Ma'ariv newspaper editorialized today about the recent revelations of Israeli-Arab involvement in terrorism: "...the principal victims will be those Arab workers who will lose their livelihoods..." If in fact customers begin to think twice before patronizing establishments with Arab workers, the ramifications could be far ranging, affecting Jewish employment rates, ease of Arab mobility in Jewish areas, and more.