(ConservativeSense.com) – An Israeli-American restauranteur in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was targeted and harassed by a group of pro-Palestinian activists who amassed outside the man’s storefront over the weekend and accused the business owner of being complicit in genocide.
On Sunday, hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched throughout Philadelphia in opposition to Israel’s military action in Gaza, calling for an immediate cease-fire. As the day unfolded, the protesters became roweled up and soon set their sights on an Israeli-style falafel restaurant called Goldie and its co-owner, Chef Michael Solomonov. The activists shouted and chanted outside the business and vandalized the property, according to city officials.
The incident was caught on video and shared by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who condemned the protesters’ actions. The footage showed protesters chanting angrily, “Goldie, Goldie, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide!” Shapiro called the incident “a blatant act of antisemitism” and “not a peaceful protest.” The governor claimed Goldie was “targeted and mobbed” because Solomonov “is Jewish and Israeli.”
City officials also confirmed that other businesses were vandalized as well, including a Starbucks location and TD Bank. The Division of Public Safety for the University of Pennsylvania also issued an alert to students that law enforcement “was on site monitoring” the situation “as the march approached” the university campus. They added that “multiple instances of graffiti” were documented “along the march route” and that investigations will be conducted to “identify the individuals responsible.”
TD Bank was most likely targeted for sending humanitarian aid to Israel, while Starbucks recently retracted a pro-Palestinian social media post, which they said tarnished the company’s brand. Starbucks stated that its organization remains “non-political.”
The incident is just the latest in a wave of conflicts arising around the country after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and its resulting military escalation. Last month, a high school teacher in New York City had to lock herself in an office while students stormed through the hallways after they discovered the teacher attended a pro-Israel rally.
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