Pro-Palestinian protesters in Philadelphia target Israeli-owned restaurant, chant accusations of 'genocide'

An Israeli-born restaurant owner in Philadelphia was harassed by a large group of pro-Palestinian protesters who gathered outside his store Sunday night and accused him of genocide.

Hundreds of protesters marched through Philadelphia calling for a cease-fire in Gaza when some of the demonstrators stormed Goldie, an Israeli-style falafel shop co-owned by chef Michael Solomonov. The protesters shouted outside the restaurant and vandalized it, officials said.

Their actions were captured on video and shared by the state’s governor, prompting criticism from other officials.

"Goldie, Goldie you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide," the protesters can be heard shouting in the video.

According to city officials, other facilities were also vandalized, including TD Bank and Starbucks.

The University of Pennsylvania Division of Public Safety said in an alert, "Penn Police were on site monitoring as the march approached our campus and continued to monitor the area with Philadelphia Police until the protest concluded at approximately 8:20pm."

"Penn Police documented multiple instances of graffiti along the march route and will be investigating to identify the individuals responsible," they added.

Both companies have been connected to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

TD Bank has donated toward humanitarian aid efforts in the Middle East. Starbucks previously said a pro-Palestinian post tarnished its brand, sparking backlash from Palestinian supporters. The company maintains that it "has been and remains a non-political organization."

"Neither Starbucks nor the company’s former chairman, president and CEO Howard Schultz provide financial support to the Israeli government and/or the Israeli Army in any way," the company clarified on its website.... (Read more)

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