A Jewish woman in London was left "shocked and upset" when an antisemitic plumber refused her request for work at her home because she supports Israel.
The plumber works at AWG Plumbing and Heating, a company based in London's upscale Mayfair district. The company's website states that all its workers undergo "rigorous training to ensure they meet the highest standards in gas and plumbing services."
However, when the woman contacted the company, she received a text message reading, “I won’t be able to provide you any services as we’re trying to VET all of our customers in the present climate and it appears that you opposed the BDS movement and give cover to the state of Israel as you a part [sic] of the law makers in this country. So for this reason, we can no longer offer our services and would therefore no longer like to be contacted."
"I was extremely shocked and upset. I couldn’t believe it had happened to me in this country," the woman said after being refused service.
The company responded to the UK-based Jewish newspaper The Jewish Chronicle, saying, "AWG does not refuse to serve people because they support Israel, but do if they support Zionism or genocide."
The UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) group reported the incident to the Equality and Human Rights Commission in the UK. According to the group, the company is violating section 29 of the Equality Act 2020, which prohibits companies from discriminating against potential customers based on protected characteristics, including religion and philosophical belief.