Ludicrous! Gail’s bakery hits out at pro-Israel claims
BAKERY chain Gail’s yesterday hit back at ‘ludicrous’ claims by pro-Palestinian activists that it is funding Israel’s ‘war machine’.
Founder and chief executive Tom Molnar said it was ‘completely ridiculous’ for conspiracy theorists to claim the upmarket business is Israeli-owned and opposed to a ceasefire in Gaza.
But he added that he was proud of the company’s ‘Jewish roots’.
His comment came after hundreds of people signed a petition against a new Gail’s in a bohemian Walthamstow, east London, with several citing the chain’s ‘Zionist’ credentials as a reason for opposition.
Gail’s was founded in the 1990s by Israeli baker Gail Mejia and businessman Ran Avidan.
The business was acquired by Bread Holdings in 2011 – six years after its first shop opened in Hampstead Heath, north London. It has since expanded to over 130 bakeries across England, mostly in Greater London.
But the bakery’s plan to expand further has faced a backlash amid concerns it could force independent cafes to shut.
In Walthamstow, more than 400 people have signed the petition, saying they are ‘protecting the unique identity of our community (and) safeguarding the soul of a beloved neighbourhood’. However, comments on the petition suggest the bakery’s roots in Israel are behind some objections. One said: ‘Love local indein pendent bakeries and hate Zionist moguls.’
Bain Capital, which has a controlling stake in Bread Holdings, joined 500 other venture capital firms in signing a letter in support of Israel after October 7 massacre by Hamas. It also has investments Israel, including in cybersecurity. In his first interview since the row broke out this month, Mr Molnar told The Times: ‘Gail’s proudly has Jewish roots and there’s plenty of stuff out there celebrating our heritage and history, but it’s not true it’s Israel-owned.
‘There’s some crazy stuff on the web thinking we are funding Israel, which is just completely ridiculous. We’re a wholly UK-based business, it’s just ludicrous.’
He added: ‘We build small sites so they are a part of a diverse high street, so whenever I build a Gail’s I think what it would be like if I was a resident here.’
And he insisted: ‘There are good independents and bad, and good chains and bad chains.’
‘Our heritage and history’