A local Israeli politician has said she would boycott a restaurant for going kosher.

Lior Ben-Hemo, one of the owners of River Ranaana, said he was taken aback when a local Jewish councillor used her party's Facebook page to announce the boycott. "We didn't think that in Israel, and in Ranaana, we would face such a thing," he said.

Adit Diamant, a member of the Meretz party and a member of the Be Free Israel group which lobbies to "promote a free Israeli society", wrote: "Beginning this weekend, the River Restaurant in Raanana became kosher and closes on Friday and Saturday.

"As a long-time customer of the restaurant, and because very few restaurants in Raanana are open on Friday night and even fewer do delivery, I am personally harmed by this change and intend to completely avoid eating at the restaurant, even on other days."

She stressed it was important for the "free public" to vote with its feet and called on "all those who care about this issue to act like me".

After an outcry, her post was removed from the Facebook page. But the boycott call had already spread like wildfire on social media and backfired. "In the end she helped us and gave us a lot of publicity," said Mr Ben-Hemo.