Source: Fox News
Summary
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani dined at Ayat Hinds Hall, a Palestinian restaurant with a controversial menu. The restaurant’s 2023 menu included the phrase “From the River to the Sea,” which the Anti-Defamation League considers antisemitic. The menu also featured anti-occupation messaging and a map labeling Israel as Palestine. Owner Abdul Elenani denied antisemitism and supported a two-state solution. Mamdani faced backlash at a recent vigil for the Oct. 7 attacks, with protesters accusing him of enabling genocide.
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The process has entered a familiar phase.
Mamdani dines at a restaurant with a controversial menu.
Protesters shout at him during a vigil for the Oct. 7 attacks.
He repeats his stance on Gaza and Israel.
The same words, the same places, the same reactions.
Author: Evan Null
Mayor’s Dine at Controversial Restaurant
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani dined at Ayat Hinds Hall, a Palestinian restaurant with a controversial menu. The restaurant’s 2023 menu included the phrase “From the River to the Sea,” which the Anti-Defamation League considers antisemitic. The menu also featured anti-occupation messaging and a map labeling Israel as Palestine. Owner Abdul Elenani denied antisemitism and supported a two-state solution.
Backlash at Oct. 7 Vigil
Mamdani faced backlash at a recent vigil for the Oct. 7 attacks, with protesters accusing him of enabling genocide. Demonstrators booed the mayor, a frequent critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, and accused him of being a “traitor.” “Zohran, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?” protesters shouted, according to media reports.
Reiteration of Stance on Gaza
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Mamdani stood by his previous statements characterizing Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide while calling for universal empathy. “I believe that there must be room to mourn every single life,” Mamdani said. “There must be room to mourn the lives of the more than 1,100 that Hamas killed three years ago; there must be room to mourn the 74,000 Palestinians that the Israeli government has killed since.”
Owner’s Response to Criticism
Owner Abdul Elenani pushed back against accusations of antisemitism, noting the phrase had been on the menu months prior to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Elenani said he supports a two-state solution and condemns violence on both sides, according to the New York Post. In 2024, he organized a free Shabbat dinner for hundreds of guests, the Times report states.
Continuing Controversy
Mamdani’s dinner came shortly after he faced backlash from pro-Palestinian demonstrators during a vigil marking the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks. The same words, the same places, the same reactions. The same menu, the same protests, the same mayor.
