Cleaning ad in Tel Aviv found pricing workers by race spurs outrage

Israeli journalist Tal Schneider posts photo of pamphlet to Facebook, garnering a slew of comments of disbelief and condemnation of racism.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: FEBRUARY 9, 2016 10:58
Cleaning [Illustrative] (photo credit: INGIMAGE)
Cleaning [Illustrative]
(photo credit: INGIMAGE)
An online firestorm has erupted in light of a flyer found recently in upscale northern Tel Aviv advertising a cleaning service that offers prices based on the ethnicity of its workers.
Israeli journalist Tal Schneider posted a picture of the pamphlet to Facebook on Friday, garnering a slew of comments of disbelief and rage at the apparent prevalence of racism existing in Israel.
"Blatant racism permeating into Israeli society. Pricing employees according to race," Schneider wrote in a caption to her post. "Admit that you haven't thought of that one yet. Israel 2016."
 

הגזענות הבוטה מחלחלת לתוך החברה הישראלית. תמחור עובדות לפי גזע. תודו שלא חשבתם על זה עדיין. ישראל 2016(מכר אסף פלייאר שחולק בצפון תל-אביב היום בבוקר)

Posted by Tal Schneider on Friday, February 5, 2016

The pamphlet poses questions to potential employers of the household workers such as: 'Are you tired of employing illegal foreign workers and getting fined?'; 'Are you unwilling to hire Arab workers due to security reasons?'; and 'Tired of being embroiled in lawsuits and getting sued by employees?'
The leaflet then proposes in bold font that "there is a solution" to the aforementioned issues.
In large print in the center of the glossy advertisement, the unnamed cleaning service lists its race-based hourly pricing scheme for cleaners hired for a minimum of five hours.
For a "foreign (female) worker of African decent," the flyer lists a payment of NIS 49 plus value added tax (VAT). The cleaning service's going rate for a "foreign (female) worker of eastern European decent" is NIS 52 plus VAT. And at the price of NIS 69 plus VAT, a "(female) worker with an Israeli ID and of western European decent" could be hired.
The flyer features a color photo reminiscent of Rosie the Riveter with a woman donning a headband cleaning a window.
At the bottom of the handout appears a phone number next to the contact name 'Irina.'
On Sunday, when The Jerusalem Post attempted to make contact, there was no answer on the line.