New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani Dines at Restaurant with Controversial Menu

<p>New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani dined Wednesday at Ayat Hinds Hall, a Palestinian restaurant on the Upper West Side, which has faced criticism for its menu language. The restaurant's sister location was criticized in 2023 for featuring a section titled "From the River to the Sea," which the Anti-Defamation League defines as an implicit call for the eradication of Israel.</p><p>The menu's front page includes the phrase "Down with the occupation" in English, Arabic, and Hebrew, according to The Times of Israel. It also features terms such as "Resilience," "Freedom," and "Save our children" in bold letters, along with a map that refers to the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem, and Israel as Palestine.</p><p>Following the 2023 controversy, some critics accused the restaurant of being "openly genocidal" toward Jews. Owner Abdul Elenani defended the menu, stating that the phrase had been included months prior to Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel. Elenani expressed support for a two-state solution and condemned violence from both sides, and he organized a free Shabbat dinner for hundreds in 2024, as reported by the Times.</p><p>Mamdani's visit to the restaurant occurred shortly after he faced backlash from pro-Palestinian demonstrators during a vigil marking the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks. Demonstrators booed the mayor, who has been a critic of Israel's military actions in Gaza, and accused him of being a "traitor" who enables genocide. Protesters shouted, "Zohran, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?" and referenced a high death toll.</p><p>Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mamdani reiterated his characterization of Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide while advocating for universal empathy. He stated, "I believe that there must be room to mourn every single life. 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."</p>