Jessica Walton, an Israeli-American woman, says she was asked to leave a permanent makeup studio in Alexandria, Virginia after informing the owner that she was half-Israeli. The incident at Karimi Brows, captured on video and reported by Israeli news outlet ILTV, has drawn attention to questions about business service refusals tied to nationality and political views on the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Walton had gone to Karimi Brows for an eyebrow appointment with owner Fatana Karimi. According to Walton's account, the two had been discussing Afghanistan when she mentioned that she was Jewish and half-Israeli. Karimi responded by saying she did not support Israel and described herself as a "big free Palestine" advocate.
"Get out of my office," Karimi told Walton in video footage of the encounter. Karimi said the situation would have been different if Walton had expressed opposition to Israeli government policies or acknowledged what she characterized as genocide occurring.
Walton disputed the characterization, saying she had not brought politics into the conversation and had done nothing wrong. "I didn't do anything wrong," Walton said in the video. "I didn't say anything political." Walton told Karimi she believed she was being treated differently because of her Israeli background and requested the return of a deposit she had paid for the appointment.
According to ILTV, Walton did not receive her deposit back. The business has not publicly responded to requests for comment on this account.
Karimi posted her own version of events on social media, accusing Walton of steering the conversation toward politics and arguing that she had attempted to redirect the discussion back to eyebrow procedures.
What the Right Is Saying
Pro-Israel advocates and critics of anti-Israel sentiment say the incident reflects what they describe as rising hostility toward Israeli-Americans. They argue that refusing service based on support for Israel amounts to discrimination against people of a particular nationality.
"Israeli-American citizens deserve the same protections as any other Americans," said one commentator quoted in conservative media coverage of the incident. "Targeting someone because of their connection to Israel is discriminatory."
Some commentators have called for legal consequences, arguing that Virginia's consumer protection laws and anti-discrimination statutes should apply regardless of the political motivations cited by the business owner.
What the Left Is Saying
Civil rights advocates who support Palestinian rights argue that business owners should retain the right to refuse service based on their personal convictions. They note that Karimi did not object to serving Walton before learning her background and suggest the issue centers on political expression rather than discrimination based on immutable characteristics.
"This is about a business owner's right to decide who she wants in her private space," said one commentator on social media who has been quoted in progressive outlets. "Israel is a country with policies, not an ethnicity."
Some advocacy groups focused on civil liberties have noted that while the incident may be uncomfortable for those involved, commercial service refusals based on political expression occupy a different legal category than discrimination based on race, religion, or national origin.
What the Numbers Show
Virginia law prohibits discrimination in places of public accommodation based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, and sexual orientation. Political ideology is not currently listed as a protected class under Virginia's Human Rights Act.
According to the Anti-Defamation League's most recent data, antisemitic incidents in the United States reached record levels in 2023 before declining slightly in subsequent years. The organization tracks incidents targeting individuals based on Jewish identity but does not separately categorize anti-Israel sentiment directed at Israeli-Americans.
Karimi received her permanent makeup license from Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation in 2019, according to business records cited in reporting on the incident.
The Bottom Line
The incident at Karimi Brows highlights tensions surrounding political expression and commercial service in the context of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Walton has said she would pursue legal action if her deposit is not refunded, though it remains unclear what specific legal claims might apply given Virginia's current anti-discrimination framework.
Business law experts note that cases involving service refusals tied to political beliefs occupy uncertain legal territory compared to discrimination based on protected characteristics like race or religion. The outcome could depend on how courts interpret the connection between nationality, ethnicity, and political expression in this context.
Karimi has not responded publicly to requests for comment beyond her own social media account of the encounter.