Woman Alleges Shop Owner Refused Service Due to Jewish, Israeli Identity; Civil Rights Complaint Filed
A woman claims she was refused service by a business owner in Alexandria, Virginia, due to her Jewish and Israeli identity, leading to a civil rights complaint. The Brandeis Center, a national nonprofit legal advocacy organization, filed the complaint on behalf of client Jessica Walton with the Virginia attorney general's office on September 2. The incident occurred on August 13 at Karimi Brows, owned by Fatana Karimi. According to the complaint, the appointment was terminated after Walton disclosed her Jewish identity and dual American-Israeli citizenship, with Karimi allegedly stating it was against her political beliefs to serve an Israeli. Karimi, who is from Afghanistan, has disputed these allegations in social media posts, stating the conflict stemmed from her support for Palestine conflicting with Walton's views on Israel. Both parties have reported receiving harassment and threats following the viral video of their exchange. 
