New York Mayor Visits Pro-Palestinian Restaurant That Erases Israel
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre by visiting a controversial pro-Palestinian restaurant that erases Israeli cities from its menu.
New York Mayor Visits Controversial Pro-Palestinian Restaurant
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani chose to mark the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre by visiting Ayat, a pro-Palestinian restaurant in the Upper West Side. The restaurant chain recently opened a new branch featuring a menu depicting a map of "Palestine" while completely erasing Israeli cities.
Mamdani had previously visited the restaurant, which was recommended by the Michelin guide and founded by couple Abdul Elnani and Ayat Masoud. He visited an Ayat branch during his mayoral campaign tour and spoke from the venue in a live broadcast in May 2026 titled "Talk to the People."
Controversial Menu and Decor
This marks the eighth branch of the chain and the first Palestinian restaurant in the famous New York neighborhood. Although the chain markets itself as a welcoming space with a sign at the front reading "Muslims, Jews, Christians, whatever your belief we are all human," the menu tells a different story.
The first page of the restaurant's menu features a map displaying Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv and Haifa under the name "Palestine." All cities on the map are labeled with their Arabic names, and the top of the page carries the message "Down with the occupation" in English, Hebrew, and Arabic.
"From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free"
Additionally, the seafood section of the menu plays on the protest slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." The restaurant walls, decorated with patterns reminiscent of a keffiyeh, feature prominent inscriptions such as "Resilience,Freedom," and "Save our children."
Naming After Campus Protests
The new Upper West Side branch was named "Hinds Hall" in memory of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza who became a symbol in pro-Palestinian protests.
The name references the 2024 events when students at nearby Columbia University forcibly occupied a campus building and renamed it, while activists blocked entrances and heckled maintenance workers. The Ayat chain supported the demonstrators and provided them with food at the time.
