DEARBORN — The debate over whether or not to boycott the Starbucks coffee company continues to be a hot topic among activists and Arab Americans in metro Detroit.

A picketing of the west Dearborn Starbucks, 22155 Michigan Avenue, is expected to take place on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 4-8 p.m.

Organizer Susan Hajhassan, 26, talked about motivation for the event.

“Why Starbucks? Simple, [CEO Howard] Schultz is an active Zionist,” she said.

Hajhassan said Starbucks once posted, then removed from their website a statement about a Zionist award Schultz received, and that statements have been made by the company alluding to his support for Zionism.

Zionism is the political movement that established the state of Israel, seen by many as a racist justification for the killing, displacement and subjugation of the indigenous Palestinians.

Starbucks strongly denies that it donates money to Israel but questions persist about Schultz.

Patrons have said Tim Horton’s coffee and breakfast franchises seem busier lately at two Dearborn locations. Co-owner of both locations Gary David said the Michigan Avenue Tim Hortons has seen a small spike in transactions in the past two weeks. He said the amount of transactions at the Greenfield Road location has remained steady over the past two months, but that customers have been spending more money per transaction.

Current and former Starbucks costumers have varying opinions on the boycott.

Kamal Shrara, of Livonia, thinks that the blame shouldn’t be placed squarely on Starbucks.

“What I cannot understand is, why are you targeting only Starbucks when a lot of big companies are more involved and seem to be more critical in their support of Zionism?” he said. “Protesting at the doors of one company and ignoring the bigger players doesn’t make any sense and thus invalidates the whole argument on the boycott.”

Community activist Suehaila Amen, 29, of Dearborn, said trying a boycott is worthwhile only if it comes with efforts to change U.S. foreign policy.

“Everyone is worried about an expensive cup of coffee, yet their tax dollars are what are killing our people,” she said.

“I would boycott the company, but would not make it the sole issue that we should be addressing.”

Shadia Haidous, 27, of Dearborn, also put the focus back on the policies of the U.S. government.

“Personally, I think it’s silly to boycott anything since our own government seems to support Zionism. Everything we do everyday indirectly supports it in that case through taxes.”

Haidous is editing a compilation of Arab American art and literature in a fundraising effort for victims of war in the Gaza Strip.

An excerpt from one of her own entries in the book addresses involuntary financial support for the Israeli occupation and military campaigns in the Palestinian territories:

“This morning I stopped at the local coffee shop to buy my usual cappuccino. I paid cash, including tax to my government, which funds Israeli military training. I went to the corner store to buy some supplies before work. I paid for them at the register, plus the tax that goes to my government, which funds munitions for Israel. On my way to work I stopped to fill my nearly empty gasoline tank with fuel. I paid tax on the fuel that goes to my government, which funds F-16s for Israel…

“My coffee killed a little green-eyed girl in Gaza. My notebook blew off her brother’s leg. My gas killed a pregnant mother of three…

“Please don’t let my way of life kill any more of the innocent. Please let me stand tall and proud, proud to call myself an American.”