BDS has been embraced by the Left. Anti-Semitic figures in the House like Rep. Omar and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez have made defended it. But this anti-Semitic movement doesn’t just hurt Jews. It also hurts Arab Christians.

A franchisee has delayed the scheduled opening of his Burgerim restaurant in Dearborn amid backlash from the Arab-American community over the popular burger company’s Israeli roots. 

Sam Zahr, a Lebanese-American who lives in Dearborn, said he was too worried to open the restaurant on Greenfield Road after his kids were bullied and he received threatening messages from those opposed to the burger chain founded in Israel. 

The Dearborn Burgerim location has stirred controversy for months, striking at the heart of the charged debate over Israeli-Palestinian relations. The announced restaurant opening has elicited back-and-forth comments on Facebook posts from those spreading the message to boycott and others just hoping for a good burger. 

Burgerim, which means “many burgers” in Hebrew, specializes in mini burgers of different types of meat. It’s headquartered in Encino, California, but was founded in Israel with its first location in Tel Aviv. The growing company has franchise locations across the U.S., Israel, and Europe, and has been publicized by media outlets in places like Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Antonio. 

The company isn’t actually located in Israel. Sam Zahr isn’t Israeli. But it doesn’t matter. BDS bigots rarely care about the facts.

Zahr described several events that led to the decision not to open. In one instance, someone messaged him on Facebook with threatening comments, confirmed by screenshots of the messages. 

“I told you, you are not like us,” someone wrote in a Facebook message to Zahr. “You have Palestinian and Lebanese blood on your hand if you open up that joint.” 

In another incident, he set up a tent with free burgers outside the soon-to-open Royal Oak store for Ramadan, a Muslim holiday in April, but he said the tent was destroyed the next morning. 

Zahr said he has lost everything after pouring money into the Dearborn location by signing a five-year lease, having the electricity and plumbing installed, purchasing permits and licenses and paying the franchise fee. 

“It’s just for no reason. Why?” Zahr said. “We’re in America. You don’t own Dearborn.” 

Does American law apply in Dearbornistan?

Now imagine this story involved a Jewish franchisee for a Muslim owned business facing threats from Jews? Or a Christian franchisee for a Muslim business.

You know that this story would be everywhere and every 2020 candidate would have weighed in by now. President Trump would be blamed for fostering an atmosphere of hate.

But since the story is what it is, it’s just a local controversy. No need to ask questions about how the Left’s support for BDS is introducing a climate of hate in America.