Burger King Employee Fired for Saying "Free Palestine" raises more than $100k in Donations

An employee from Burger King who got fired after saying “Free Palestine” to an Israeli customer in a Pennsylvania restaurant has gotten more than $100,000 via crowdfunding on the Internet. The incident occurred at a Burger King outlet in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, when a customer named Rami Feinstein, an American citizen who claimed he was born in Israel, came there to buy food for his family.

Ariana Hamilton, the Burger King employee, asked him where he was from. After he mentioned that he was from Israel, she answered, “Free Palestine.” Feinstein went on to share a video detailing the encounter and said he felt “uncomfortable” and left the restaurant after receiving a refund.

The story as told by Hamilton is different… In a video that she uploaded online, Hamilton explained that the incident was just her way of voicing her political stance and not any hostility directed toward Feinstein because of who he is. In Hamilton’s account, Feinstein first claimed he came from New Jersey but soon afterward indicated he was Israeli and showed her the Star of David pendant he was wearing, hence her response.

According to her, she was fired by Burger King for “discriminating against Feinstein and using hate speech.” After she was fired, Hamilton started a crowdfunding page to raise funds to support herself while she looks for a new job. Her fundraising efforts were successful, as the crowdfunding campaign has already raised close to $100,000 from people who praised her courage in speaking up.

In a statement issued after her firing, Burger King said it apologized to the customer and stated that everyone feels welcome in its restaurants. The company stated that it has “zero tolerance for antisemitism, hate or discrimination of any kind.”