Meet the London Plumber Who Won’t Unblock Your Toilet If You’re a Zionist

A Jewish woman in London was left “shocked and distraught” when a plumber rejected her repair request because she did not support the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Mayfair-based AWG Plumbing and Heating claims online that every member of the company undergoes “rigorous training to ensure they meet the highest standards of gas and plumbing services”.

But when the woman contacted the company, a staff member who gave his name as Adam responded via text message: “I will not be able to provide you with services as we are trying to VERIFY all of our customers in the current climate and it appears that you are opposing the BDS movement and giving cover to the State of Israel as a member of the lawmakers of this country.

“This is why we can no longer offer our services and therefore no longer wish to be contacted.”

The BDS campaign, inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, was launched in 2005 to end Israel’s occupation of Palestinians.

It calls on individuals and businesses to sever ties with the Jewish state and divest from its economy.

After being refused service because she did not support the campaign, the Jewish customer said: “I was extremely shocked and upset. I couldn’t believe this had happened to me in this country.”

Contacted by the JC, Adam said that the AWG does not refuse to serve people because they support Israel, but does so if they support Zionism or genocide.

While he does not investigate the views of “Joe Bloggs,” he said, he does research clients with public profiles to examine their positions on Israel.

“We fear that anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism will be conflated and we fear that we will be criminalized because of our views,” Adam said of AWG staff.

“We have a personal relationship with all our customers, that’s one of the benefits of being able to interact with different people.”

The lobby group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has since reported the AWG to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

They claim the company is in breach of Section 29 of the Equality Act 2020, which prohibits businesses from discriminating against potential customers on the basis of protected characteristics that include religion and philosophical beliefs.

“AWG discriminated against the client on the grounds that she supported the State of Israel and opposed BDS. In other words, because she is a Zionist,” wrote Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI.

“Furthermore, since a higher number of Jews than other religious groups are Zionists, the AWG also indirectly discriminated against people of the Jewish faith.

“Therefore, the AWG discriminates against Jews and Zionists.”