Racist rant: Ethopians should respect 'real Israelis'

Supermarket cashier says she's had it with Ethopians who don't know their place, posts statement on Facebook saying doesn't care if loses job for it; co-worker complains, employer forces apology, but won't fire offending cashier

Reuters | Published: 06.05.13, 10:09

Following an argument in a branch of Rami Levy Supermarkets in Jeruslem between a new cashier and a veteran cashier of Ethopian background, the new cashier posted a Facebook rant against Ethopian cashiers at her workplace. “I don’t like to be racist, but there are some Ethopians from my work who need to get burned a little bit more!!!

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"Because they are Ethopian, and they are in a country that doesn’t belong to them, they should give minimal respect to those to whom the country does belong! There is no problem that they be exactly like me, but the moment that they get too big for their britches and control us – that’s the limit!!! I don’t care if I lose my job because of them!!!"

Following this, the Ethopian employee asked her manager that she fire the offending employee. The new cashier was suspended for three days, and apologized. Only the Ethopian employee felt this wasn’t enough. “Her apology was very half-hearted and was said only because they made her.” She asked that the new cashier be fired.

“I told my manager, ‘It’s either me or her,’ the Ethopian employee said. According to her, the manager replied, “She asked forgiveness, and you need to forgive. Anyone who wants to quit due to a comment of a work colleague, is invited to do so. I will not fire her. She has financial difficulties and the apology came from the bottom of her heart.”

Several of the employees gave notice that they would quit in protest.

Rami Levy replied, “We condemn racism. With us, there is no difference from person to person. We will not allow hurtful behavior against a person due to his ethnicity. We suspended the worker but due to her financial difficulties, we let her return. She expressed regret.”