Pro-Palestine protest at University of Pennsylvania calls for ‘Intifada’ revolution, targets Jewish restaurant

In a disconcerting incident in Philadelphia, a pro-Palestine mob targeted a Jewish-owned falafel restaurant. On Sunday, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of the West Philadelphia neighbourhood known as University City, home to the Ivy-league school, the University of Pennsylvania.

The crowds were seen igniting smoke bombs the colour of the Palestinian flag and calling for an “Intifada revolution” — a violent uprising against Israel.

Targeting the restaurant, crowds chanted “Goldie, Goldie, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”

The restaurant, called Goldie’s, is part of the acclaimed Philadelphia chain owned by Israeli-born chef Mike Solomonov.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has condemned the act, calling it a “blatant act of antisemitism – not a peaceful protest.”

Shapiro, who as per Daily Mail is the state’s third-ever Jewish governor, wrote, “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.”

The calls for an “intifada” by students at the University of Pennsylvania have further highlighted rising tensions. The protests as per Daily Mail were led by the Philly Palestine Coalition.

UPenn, the prestigious Ivy League institution, has been grappling with escalating incidents of antisemitism, including threats projected onto its buildings. This has led to it being accused of being a “magnet for antisemites” and the prompting of a civil rights complaint. 

As such incidents increase in frequency, the university has responded by increasing security measures and collaborating with the FBI to address the discrimination against Jewish students.

The university said that several of its staff have received “vile, disturbing antisemitic emails” threatening violence against Jews on campus, particularly in Penn Hillel, an on-campus Jewish organisation, and Lauder College House.

As per University president Liz Magill, “These messages also included hateful language, targeting the personal identities of the recipients. Penn’s Division of Public Safety was immediately notified and responded. Penn Police also notified the FBI of this potential hate crime and a joint investigation is underway.”

This incident occurred against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in the Middle East. On October 7, the militant group Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel killing 1,200 Israelis. Tel Aviv has vowed annihilation of the group, its retaliatory strikes have left more than 15,000 dead in the Gaza Strip.

(With inputs from agencies)