Pro-Palestinian Protesters Mob Jewish-Owned Philadelphia Falafel Restaurant: ‘We Charge You With Genocide’

Pro-Palestinian protesters marching through Philadelphia Sunday congregated outside Goldie, a falafel restaurant owned by American–Israeli chef Michael Solomonov, vandalizing its front door and windows and chanting “Goldie, Goldie, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”

Solomonov, born in Israel and raised in Pittsburgh, focused on Italian cuisine at the start of his career. That changed in 2003, when his brother, David, who had volunteered for the Israel Defense Forces, was killed by snipers on the Lebanese border. Solomonov now owns a variety of Israeli- and Jewish-style restaurants, mainly in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro (D.) sharply condemned the protesters’ focus on Goldie in a post on X.

“Tonight in Philly, we saw a blatant act of antisemitism — not a peaceful protest,” he 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.”

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