burger king employee fired
Arianna Hamilton, a former Burger King employee, created a GoFundMe page after she was fired. GoFundMe/Arianna Hamilton

A former Burger King employee who was dismissed after telling a customer 'Free Palestine' has raised more than $170,000 (£133,000) through an online fundraiser, saying any money remaining after covering her living expenses will be donated to families in Palestine.

Arianna Hamilton lost her job at an independently owned Burger King franchise in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, after an exchange with a customer was recorded and shared online. Hamilton and the customer later gave different accounts of what was said during the interaction.

The GoFundMe campaign, titled Support Arianna After Job Loss for Free Speech, had received more than 5,300 donations at the time of writing, reaching about 78% of its $220,000 (£163,000) target. Hamilton said the money would help cover living expenses while she searched for work and continued pursuing her goal of attending college. She also said that if the fundraiser exceeded her financial needs, she intended to donate part of the remaining money to families in Palestine.

Customer Exchange Led to Dismissal

The incident involved customer Rami Feinstein, an American musician who said he was wearing a Star of David necklace while ordering food for his family.

According to Feinstein, Hamilton asked where he was from and, after he replied that he was from Israel, responded by saying 'Free Palestine.' Feinstein later shared a video online saying he felt uncomfortable during the encounter, accepted a refund and left the restaurant. He also questioned whether Jewish customers would feel welcome at the restaurant following the exchange.

Hamilton gave a different account in a video posted on social media. She said Feinstein initially told her he was from New Jersey before mentioning Israel and showing his necklace. Hamilton said she made the remark as an expression of her political views and denied intending to intimidate or discriminate against the customer.

Burger King confirmed that the independently owned franchise had ended Hamilton's employment following the incident. In a statement, the company said it had worked with the franchisee to address the employee's conduct.

Fundraiser Details

After losing her job, Hamilton launched the GoFundMe appeal, saying the publicity surrounding the incident had made it more difficult to find new employment because, she said, some prospective employers had misunderstood the circumstances of her dismissal.

On the fundraising page, Hamilton said donations would help cover rent, groceries, utilities, transport and other living expenses while she searched for work. She added that the money would also help support her family and allow her to continue working towards attending college.

Hamilton also said that if the fundraiser ultimately raised more money than she required for those expenses, she planned to donate part of the remaining funds to families in Palestine.

In a later update posted to the fundraising page, Hamilton thanked donors for their support and said she would 'continue to speak my truth.'

Burger King Reiterates Policy

Burger King apologised for the customer's experience and reiterated its policy against discrimination.

The company said its restaurants should be places where 'everyone should feel welcome and respected' and added that it has 'zero tolerance for antisemitism, hate or discrimination of any kind.'

Hamilton's fundraiser continued to receive donations at the time of writing. Burger King has maintained that everyone should feel welcome in its restaurants and reiterated that it has zero tolerance for discrimination.

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