Protesters gathered outside Goldie in Philadelphia on Dec. 3, 2023. Photo: Screenshot

Anti-Israel protesters in Philadelphia on Sunday vandalized the front door and windows of Goldie, a vegan falafel restaurant owned by American–Israeli James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Solomonov, while chanting “Goldie, Goldie, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” according to reports and video circulating on social media.

The mob that gathered outside the eatery was participating in a larger anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian rally that took place in downtown Philadelphia, near the University of Pennsylvania. During the rally the demonstrators also chanted “long live the intifada” and “there is only one solution, intifada revolution,” and spray painted “Free Palestine” on a map of the university campus.

Disgusting antisemitism on the streets of America where a Jewish owned restaurant in Philadelphia is targeted by pro-Hamas protesters chanting:

“Goldie, Goldie you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide” pic.twitter.com/Y4wHPQ0sbg

— Emily Schrader – אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) December 4, 2023

Solomonov was born in Israel and raised in Pittsburgh. His brother, David, was killed by snipers on the Lebanese border in 2003 while volunteering in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). After Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel, Solomonov announced that for one day he was donating 100 percent of sales from all of his Philadelphia restaurants to United Hatzalah of Israel, to help the volunteer-based organization provide free medical services to those affected by the terror attacks. A total of $100,000 was ultimately donated to United Hatzalah.

Solomonov owns a string of restaurants in Philadelphia and New York that serve Israeli-inspired cuisine.

The protest was organized by the Philly Palestine Coalition, which previously called for a boycott of “Zionist” and “Israeli” restaurants in Philadelphia following the Hamas onslaught and distributed a list of eateries owned by Jews or Israelis, which included Goldies and Solomonov’s other restaurants.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) condemned the targeting of Goldie on Sunday night.

“Tonight in Philly, we saw a blatant act of antisemitism — not a peaceful protest,” he wrote in a post on X/Twitter. “A restaurant was targeted and mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli. This hate and bigotry is reminiscent of a dark time in history.”

US Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), who represents the Philadelpiha area, expressed similar sentiments. He wrote on X, “I can’t believe I even have to say this but targeting businesses simply because they’re Jewish owned is despicable.”

White House spokesman Andrew Bates also addressed the incident, saying: “It is antisemitic and completely unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve Israeli food over disagreements with Israeli policy, as Governor Shapiro has underlined.”

“This behavior reveals the kind of cruel and senseless double standard that is a calling card of antisemitism,” he added. “President Biden has fought against the evil of antisemitism his entire life, including by launching the first national strategy to counter this hate in American history. He will always stand up firmly against these kinds of undignified actions.”

Meanwhile, anti-Israel activists supported the actions targeting Goldie. One X user, who claimed to be a former employee of the restaurant and accused the IDF of “war crimes,” wrote on X that “these protesters rule & should keep up the pressure.”

The vandalism at Goldie took place one day after Solomonov participated in a Shabbat brunch potluck with other food industry professionals, hosted by the Jewish Food Society in New York, in response to the rise in antisemitism around the world since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.