A fast-food restaurant in Argentina sparked outrage among the local Jewish community and on social media after selling "Adolf" [Hitler] fries and an "Ana Frank" burger, Argentinian media reported earlier this week.
The offensive items were sold at the "Honky Donky" restaurant in Rafaela in the Sante Fe Province of Argentina. The "Adolf" fries were listed alongside additional fry options, including "Benito" fries (a reference to Italian WWII dictator Benito Mussolini), "Gengis" fries (a reference to Mongol leader Genghis Khan), and "Mao" fries (a reference to Mao Zedong, the founder of the communist People's Republic of China).
Honky Donky, un local ubicado en un hipermercado, tuvo la desafortunada estrategia de marketing para vender sus productos. Repudio de la comunidad judía.https://t.co/GA6bo0mN6D
— Página|12 (@pagina12) August 2, 2023
Meanwhile, the "[Anne] Frank" burger was sold alongside an "Elvis Presley" burger, a "Gautama Buda" burger, and a "Bob Marley" burger.
The restaurant reportedly advertised the burger and fries on its menu and on its Instagram account. The restaurant's Instagram account is private and can only be viewed if approved by the account's administrator.
Local Jewish organizations express outrage
The Israelite Cultural and Sports Association 'IL Peretz' expressed outrage at the naming decision, stressing to Argentinian media that the names are "not funny at all" and are "offensive, insulting, and disgusting.”
"This Nazi 'little brushstroke' is not only offensive to the victims of racist genocide, but it offends human dignity," added the association, calling on the relevant authorities to carry out legal action.
The local Jewish community in Rafaela stated on Facebook that it expressed "its most heartfelt rejection and indignation" in response to the naming decision by the restaurant, adding that it was looking into legal action on the matter.
Argentinian media noted that the restaurant may be subject to Argentina's anti-discrimination law (Law 23,592). According to the Argentine La Capital newspaper, there are also international agreements that have been signed by Argentina that sanction this type of publication.
The Argentine Página 12 newspaper reported that Ariel Rosenthal, a member of the board of directors of the Rafaela Jewish Community, stated that the campaign was launched back in March and that the Jewish community had already asked the owners then to withdraw the names.
"We do not understand the delay in doing it, but I understand that at this moment it is being modified and there will be an apology," he said.
Rosenthal stressed that the incident is "completely atypical" for the city of Rafaela, where there is "an excellent coexistence between the different communities and religions."
After the uproar, the names were taken off the menu and the restaurant issued an apology "for the offense and the lack of sense of responsibility for the improper use of names that refer to open wounds in humanity as a whole."
The restaurant added that it would launch a campaign to rename its products with the names of "defenders of peace and human rights" such as Martin Luther King Jr., the Dalai Lama, and John Paul II.