Kate Raphael Bender is an American political activist. After about a year in the Palestinian territories volunteering with Palestinian and international human rights groups, she was arrested December 14, 2004 during a protest against Israel's West Bank barrier, which took place in the West Bank village of Bil'in. She was held in custody until her Israeli visa expired on January 15, 2005. During this time she attempted to get a hearing to fight deportation to the United States. On January 16, she was brought before a judge, who deported her on the basis that her visa was no longer valid; she was physically deported on January 20. , her deportation is under appeal. Her organization, “Don’t Buy into Apartheid,” has been described by The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles as anti-Israel.
On June 20, 2009, Bender helped organize a protest against Trader Joes for selling Israeli products. In response, several viral e-mail and Facebook messages asked Israel supporters to patronize Trader Joes and buy Israeli products that weekend. A spokesperson for Trader Joes said in response to the protest, "Trader Joe’s will not be used as a political tool, and we will not remove any products under pressure from any group. We believe our customers are smart and capable enough to make their own choices."
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