Top Democrats are condemning a protest outside of a kosher falafel shop in Philadelphia.
Hundreds of pro-Palestine demonstrators marched through the city’s Center City and University City on Dec. 3. Protestors gathered outside Goldie, the Israeli-style, vegan falafel shop, and chanted, "Goldie, Goldie you can't hide! We charge you with genocide!"
Some of the participants carried Palestinian flags while others had drums. The citywide march was organized by Philly Palestine Coalition.
Goldie is owned by CookNSolo, a restaurant group co-owned by Michael Solomonov, who was born in Israel and owns three other restaurants in Philadelphia. On Oct. 12, he donated 100% of his sales to Friends of United Hatzalah, a nonprofit providing emergency medical service across Israel.
In the aftermath of the demonstration, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and President Joe Biden condemned those involved.
“We saw a blatant act of antisemitism — not a peaceful protest,” wrote Shapiro on X. “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.”
“I’ve communicated tonight with [Solomonov] and his team at Goldie to share our support and Lori and I look forward to breaking bread there with them again soon,” the governor added.
Andrew Bates, a White House spokesman, said in a statement that it was "antisemitic and completely unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve Israeli food over disagreements with Israeli policy."
"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 added, per Axios on Dec. 4. "He will always stand up firmly against these kinds of undignified actions."
Other Pennsylvania Democrats also denounced the pro-Palestine protest at Goldie as antisemitic.
“I can’t believe I even have to say this but targeting businesses simply because they’re Jewish owned is despicable,” wrote Congressman Brendan Boyle on X on Dec. 3. “Philadelphia stands against this sort of harassment and hate.”
“The demonstration comes at the heels of a weeklong cease-fire that allowed for the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages who had been captured during the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7,” reports The Philadelphia Inquirer. “That truce ended [Dec. 1].”
The day before the protest, Vice President Kamala Harris discussed the Israel-Hamas conflict while delivering remarks in Dubai after speaking with leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Egypt.
“President Biden and I have been clear: Israel has a right to defend itself. And we will remain steadfast in that conviction,” she said. “We are working with Israel and our partners in the region to secure the release of all the hostages, which includes Americans.”
“Let me be also very clear, as I’ve said before: We cannot conflate Hamas with the Palestinian people. Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization. Hamas has vowed to repeat October 7 until Israel is annihilated,” Harris continued.
“No nation could possibly live with such danger, which is why we support Israel’s legitimate military objectives to eliminate the threat of Hamas,” said the vice president.
