starbucks partnered with zionist group to “train” their staff against racism…

Well, that didn’t take long.

Earlier this week, Starbucks announced that it was closing all of its company-owned US stores on May 28 to engage employees in racial discrimination training. One of the organizations that Starbucks enlisted to help inform the training session is pro-Israel group, the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL has a very mixed history of supporting the colonization of Palestine and the subsequent displacement of black and brown people. “You can’t be a piece of an anti-bias training when you openly support a racist, oppressive and brutal colonization of Palestine,” said Cat Brooks, Co-Founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project.

The ADL has a history of silencing black activists, telling football player Reggie Bush to “stick to football” when he expressed his solidarity for the Palestinians and co-signing the Grand Jury ruling that let Ferguson police get away with killing Michael Brown. This, in addition to claiming that there is no link between racism, white supremacy and Zionism and their belief that The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) is “a campaign to delegitimize Israel”.

The ADL also has a rocky history of shutting down rational criticism, calling more or less any criticism it faces “anti-Semitic”, even when criticism is made about racialized violence. Attacking other Jewish groups for their more progressive and intersectional views, the ADL has accused these groups and individuals of being anti-Semitic for not being unquestionably pro-Isreal enough.

So, like, what in the f*ck are you doing, Starbucks? Really?