Lander to Join ‘Shabbat Dinner’ at Palestinian Restaurant With ‘From the River to the Sea’ in Menu

By Reuvain Borchardt

NEW YORK — New York City Comptroller Brad Lander will be attending a “Shabbat dinner” at a Palestinian restaurant in Brooklyn whose menu uses a slogan that some consider a call for genocide of Jews.

The seafood section of the menu at Ayat Restaurant in Ditmas Park is titled “From the river to the sea,” the first half of a slogan commonly heard at pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas protests: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which Israel supporters deem a call for genocide of Jews in Israel.

The restaurant’s homepage says it offers “Palestinian culture and tradition, one bite at a time.” Its logo includes a keffiyeh, the headscarf associated with Palestinian militancy.

According to his public schedule, Lander, who is Jewish, will be attending a “community Shabbat dinner” at Ayat’s Ditmas Park location on Cortelyou Road at 9:00 p.m. Friday.

Shabbat begins at 5:06 p.m.

After Hamas’ deadly October 7th attack in Israel, Ayat came under criticism from Israel supporters for its use of the slogan.

Restaurant owner Abdul Elenani told the New York Post in December that his restaurant received bomb threats after October 7th and denied that the slogan called for genocide of Jews.

“That slogan has been on my menu for the past year, way before Oct. 7, and that slogan within our communities has always been defined as a calling for peace and equality for Palestinian people in their country,” he said. “And after Oct. 7, it was interpreted to be a way to kill, exile, murder, do whatever to all the Jewish people, which is totally nowhere near our definition. It’s been driving me crazy.”

Elenani also said he supports “a peaceful two-state solution.”

But Israel supporters dismiss his explanation, and are criticizing Lander for participating in an event at the restaurant.

“‘From the river to the sea’ has long been the genocidal chant signifying the violent effort to end the Jewish people,” Brooklyn Councilman Kalman Yeger told Hamodia on Friday. “The comptroller is knowingly lending his proclaimed Jewishness and the former prestige of his title and office for a ‘Shabbat’ dinner at an establishment that uses ‘river to the sea’ as a marketing tool. It is revolting, genocidal and antisemitic. Comptroller Lander’s hatred for the Jewish people has long been known, but now he’s just making a mockery of himself.”

“At least we know what zemiros (songs) will be on tap tonight,” quipped Izzy Weiss, a pro-Israel activist and aide to Councilwoman Inna Vernikov.

Ayat also has locations in Bay Ridge, Industry City, Staten Island, the East Village, as well as one in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Lander’s office did not respond to Hamodia’s request for comment.

Lander is a member the progressive anti-Israel organization Jews for Racial & Economic Justice. He has supported Ben & Jerry’s announcement in 2021 that it would no longer sell its ice cream in Judea and Samaria. But he told Hamodia he supports “the vision of Israel as a Jewish and a democratic state.”

—

rborchardt@hamodia.com