UK renters’ union rejects Jewish applicant: ‘Sorry, no time for Zionists’

Acorn Union issues apology after prospective renter in Manchester was told ‘we are a pro-Palestine organization,’ says it has launched internal probe

JTA — A renters’ union in England apologized after rejecting a membership request from a Jewish person in a message that said “sorry, no time for Zionists.”

The renter also was told in a message sent through the Instagram account of the Acorn Union in Manchester that “we are a pro-Palestine organization.”

On Monday, the union issued an apology “for the upset and offense caused” to its Jewish members and to the general Jewish community. It called the messages anti-Semitic.

The Acorn Union told the London-based Jewish Chronicle that it has opened an internal investigation into the incident. The union has not yet identified the person who sent the messages, according to the newspaper.

After rejecting the Jewish renter, Acorn also blocked the man on Instagram, the UK Jewish News reported.

The union was aware that the applicant was Jewish since he uses his Hebrew name on his Instagram profile, and his Instagram profile image uses a Star of David and a #NoSafeSpaceForJewHate hashtag, according to the report.

The union, according to its website, is “a community-based union of working-class people” and a “member-led campaigning organization supporting and empowering low-income communities across the country to fight for a better life.”

comments