The Guardian newspaper has made significant edits to a contentious opinion article about Gail's bakery after facing accusations of employing anti-Semitic stereotypes. The piece, which was originally published on Saturday, described the opening of a Gail's branch near an independent Palestinian cafe in north London as an "act of heavy-handed high-street aggression." This characterization sparked a furious backlash from critics who argued the publication had perpetuated centuries-old prejudices against Jewish people.
Controversial Claims and Subsequent Revisions
In the initial version, columnist Jonathan Liew suggested that the presence of a new Gail's outlet just 20 meters from Cafe Metro, a Palestinian-owned establishment in Archway, was "quietly symbolic" of the war in Gaza. The article further claimed that Gail's parent company, Bain Capital, invests heavily in military technology, including Israeli security companies. This led to allegations that the piece implied Jewish business success represents a form of encroachment by powerful global forces.
On Tuesday evening, The Guardian edited the article to clarify its intent. The revised text now places the phrase about "heavy-handed high-street aggression" after a reference to the bakery "accelerating gentrification and squeezing out smaller outlets." A note appended to the piece explained that a comment contrasting activism with "small acts of petty symbolism" was removed to avoid misunderstanding, emphasizing it did not condone previous vandalism attacks on Gail's branches.
Backlash and Protests
The edits have not quelled the controversy entirely. Some Jewish staff at The Guardian remain "shocked and angry" that the article was published in its original form. Around 40 protesters gathered outside the newspaper's offices in King's Cross, holding signs warning that "extremists target Jewish and Israeli businesses" and distributing Gail's products. Critics accused the publication of framing the simple establishment of a Jewish business as a hostile act.
Alex Gandler, the Israeli embassy's UK spokesman, condemned the article as an "astonishing exercise in bigotry disguised as moral commentary" and a "re-packaging of anti-Semitic prejudice in fashionable political language." The Campaign Against Antisemitism also weighed in, stating the piece presented a "warped view of the Palestinian Israeli conflict" and encouraged anti-Israeli sentiment.
Context of the Cafes and Attacks
The opinion piece features an interview with Faten and Mahmoud, the Palestinian owners of Cafe Metro in Archway. They emphasized that they compete with Gail's legally and had no involvement in vandalism attacks on the nearby bakery. The Archway Gail's branch has been targeted twice by vandals who smashed windows and painted anti-Zionist graffiti, with one attack occurring just hours before its public opening.
Gail's was founded by Israeli baker Gail Mejia in the 1990s and later expanded by Israeli entrepreneur Ran Avidan, though neither is currently linked to the company. In 2021, US investment fund Bain Capital acquired a majority stake in the business, which asserts it has "no links with any country or government outside the UK."
Internal and External Criticism
An unnamed Guardian journalist told The Times that Jonathan Liew might not be qualified to write on this topic if he "keeps accidentally stumbling into antisemitic tropes." In response, a Guardian spokesman stated that complaints about their journalism are considered by the internally independent readers' editor under the newspaper's editorial code and guidance.
Mr. Liew's article also noted that Cafe Metro has been targeted with "Stop killing people" stickers, framing both cafes as being on the "frontline of a war" that feels both distant and local. However, critics argue this perspective dangerously conflates local business dynamics with international conflicts, reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
