Philly Rallies Behind Jewish Restaurants Targeted by “Boycott Ride” | WATCH

Hundreds of supporters lined up outside Jewish-owned restaurants in Philadelphia on Sunday as an anti-Zionist cycling group staged a “Boycott Ride” targeting six of the businesses, an event condemned as antisemitic by city and state leaders.

The ride, organized by the group Philly Bike On Your Left, which describes itself as “anti-fascist” and “anti-Zionist,” set off from Rittenhouse Square. A flyer circulated since late October labeled Mac Mart, K’Far Cafe, Huda, Goldie, Dizengoff and Schlesinger’s Deli “Zionist establishments” and declared: “No business for Zionists! These Zionist Establishments must go! Not in our city!” In an Instagram post, the organizers called the business owners “disgusting humans.”

K’Far Cafe, Dizengoff and Goldie belong to CookNSolo, the restaurant group of Israeli-born chef Michael Solomonov. Activists have targeted Solomonov and his partner Steve Cook for raising more than $100,000 for Friends of United Hatzalah after the October 7 attacks. The other three restaurants are owned by Jewish Americans.

The ride took place on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 Nazi pogrom in which thousands of Jewish businesses, synagogues and homes were attacked across Germany and Austria.

Lines around the block

By Sunday morning, some of the restaurants had lines hundreds of people deep, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. At 11 a.m., hundreds were waiting outside Huda. Supporters chanted “End Jew hatred,” and one man stood in line wearing tefillin. The nonprofit JewBelong put up billboards urging people to “boycott the boycott.”

The mood at Rittenhouse Square was tense, with Israeli and Palestinian flags in the crowd. Some people sang the national anthem. A scuffle broke out as people shouted “Jew hater” and “Show us your face, coward!” at participants. Police maintained a heavy presence on foot, bicycles, motorcycles and in patrol cars.

Mac Mart owner Marti Lieberman thanked supporters for the outpouring. Huda owner Yehuda Sichel said he had received overwhelming support since the boycott was announced.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office called the ride “blatant antisemitism designed to intimidate and drive Jewish businesses out of our communities.” Mayor Cherelle Parker said that singling out businesses because their owners are Jewish has no place in the city. Attorney General Dave Sunday called it “deeply unsettling,” saying it “singles out our fellow Pennsylvanians based on their Jewish identity.”

Sen. John Fetterman called it a “sick parade of rank antisemitism,” and Rep. Brendan Boyle said the timing evoked “history’s darkest chapters.”

In a joint statement, the ADL, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and StandWithUs called the event “Jew-hatred, plain and simple.”

The organizers rejected the accusations, saying they oppose antisemitism and target the owners for their support for Israel. “Every business that subscribes to the genocidal ideology of Zionism is subject to boycott,” the group said. It denied choosing the date because of Kristallnacht, calling that claim “simply false.”