Gazala’s restaurant on New York’s Upper West Side, which openly supports Israel in the war against Hamas, has been the victim of vandalism on several occasions, the New York Post reported. Gazala Halabi, the restaurant’s Druze owner, said the restrooms at her establishment were spray-painted with the words “Free Palestine” on Monday, marking the second such incident.
In front of the restaurant, which offers traditional Middle Eastern dishes such as hummus and borekas, Israeli and Druze flags fly. This display led some pro-Palestinian activists to leave the premises after seeing the flag or consulting the menu mentioning Israel.
According to Ms. Halabi, one customer even called out to another, saying: “Tell your landlord that Israel has no right to exist!” Shocked, she replied: “It’s like someone is coming into your house. How dare they? If you want to fight, go do it in Gaza. Not here.”
Ms. Halabi also claimed that the front door of her restaurant was broken following the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas after the October 7 massacre. She expressed concern for her employees, fearing that some would quit out of fear. However, they remained united, some even wearing yellow ribbons in support of the return of the Israeli hostages.
Originally from Daliat El Carmel, a village near Haifa with a large Druze population, Halabi, who has lived in New York since 2001, was in Israel on October 7 visiting family when the terrorist attack began.
This incident comes against a backdrop of an increase in anti-Semitic acts in the United States, with an increase of 360% between October and January, according to a report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Recently, clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators took place on New York’s East Side.
2024-01-31 16:29:53
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