Kosher Ride: Israeli Taxi Firm Gett Sued for ‘Jewish Driver’ Service – Report

Israel’s most popular taxi app, Gett, is facing a lawsuit over a service that critics say helps customers make sure they will get a Jewish, and not an Arab driver, The Guardian reports.

According to the newspaper, the action has been launched by human rights campaigners from the Israel Religious Action Centre and refers to the option called “Mehadrin” – the most stringent level of standards in traditional Jewish law.

Gett, which also operates in the US, UK and Russia, says its fleet accepts drivers from all religions, but Asaf Pink, a lawyer working on the case, claimed to The Guardian that the Mehadrin option specifically excludes Arab drivers.

The suit was apparently filed following a pre-investigation by campaigners, who alleged that the firm’s Jerusalem representative told them about the service: “It is for people who don’t want an Arab driver. When my daughter wants to travel, I order her a Gett Mehadrin. She doesn’t care if the driver is religious or not because what she wants is a Jewish driver.”

The rep was quoted in the suit as saying that Gett has 1,500 Arab drivers, but none in its Mehadrin fleet.

Rejecting the argument that Mehadrin is tailored for religious Jews, the campaigners make the case that observant Jews do not have a problem with a non-Jewish driver – many, in fact, hire “Shabbos goys” – non-Jews who do certain types of work on the Sabbath.

The prosecution is reportedly seeking 150 million shekels ($43.8 million) for discrimination against Arab drivers and Jerusalem residents who find it racist. Gett has been reached for a comment.

A spokesperson for the company told The Guardian they believe that “this service is in line with relevant Israeli laws and regulations.”

The firm appears to have launched the service in 2015; at the time, some residents in Jerusalem, where it is widely used, also called it racist, but Gett rejected the accusations.

Gett’s then marketing chief explained at the time that the service was designed for ultra-orthodox Jewish communities that would otherwise boycott the firm. “It’s about service,” she said. “We never treat one driver differently than another.”