NYC Palestinian restaurant under fire for 'from the river to the sea' menu section: 'Openly genocida

May 05, 2024

NEW YORK CITY (TND) — Ayat, a Palestinian restaurant in Brooklyn, has sparked outrage with a section on its menu named “from the river to the sea.”

The phrase is used in place of the restaurant’s seafood section, which offers shrimp, salmon and other dishes. The American Jewish Committee (AJC) recognizes the phrase as antisemitic due to its association with Palestinian control of Israel.

“’From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free’ is a rallying cry for terrorist groups and their sympathizers, from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) to Hamas, which called for Israel’s destruction in its original governing charter in 1988 and was responsible for the October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israeli civilians, murdering over 1,200 people in the single deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust,” AJC says.

When members of the Ditmas Park Facebook page, which features residents living nearby Ayat, discovered the offering, the group reportedly erupted in debate. One user called the offering “openly genocidal” while another believed it was a non-violent call for justice, according to The Daily Beast.

Ayat owner Abdul Elenani reportedly told the group he meant nothing by the item.

“Our interpretation on it is just simply freedom and rights to the Palestinian people between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea,” he said, according to The Daily Beast. “We’re just against the Zionist mentality of, like, eliminate or flatten Gaza now. Our neighbors are Jews, our friends are Jews, we work with Jewish people all day every day. We do not hate Jewish people. It’s the opposite. Judaism and Islam, they are the two most similar religions.”

One user told the online publication, however, she believes the restaurant was intentionally trying to create a stir.

“The best analogy that I could think [of] is if a restaurant that had southern food had the Confederate flag on their menu, and tried to spin it as 'Oh, this is just southern pride.' And it's like, you know, Don't be coy,” she said.

Ayat has fired back against critics, calling it "upsetting" to see "from the river to the sea" be misinterpreted.

"This line was said way before the creation of Hamas in the early 1950s late 40s when the Palestinians were being kicked out of their lands," the restaurant wrote on Instagram.

Ayat did not immediately respond to a request for comment form The National Desk (TND) Thursday.

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