A viral social media video targeting a Jewish-owned pizzeria in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., has raised concerns over a pattern of harassment by the video’s creators against Jewish businesses.
In a video circulating on social media, an individual who identifies as being affiliated with a group called the “Palestine News Network” approaches Isaac Garson, owner of Slices Pizza, and questions him about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A man accompanying the cameraman appears to carry a cobbled-together sign that reads, “End U.S. aid to Israel.”
“I’m going to be calm,” Garson says at the beginning of the video. “I want peace around the world.” The person behind the camera says, “What about Palestine? Can you say Palestine, specifically?”
Later in the clip, Garson asks the men to acknowledge how many people were killed in the Hamas-led attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The cameraman replies, “We support Oct. 7.”
Tom Drake, the mayor of Hastings-on-Hudson, condemned the incident, calling the group a “Jewish hate group” that targeted a local business owner “based solely on his Jewish faith and heritage.”
“As a community, we cannot let stickers placed on signs or other forms of hate to become normal,” he said, referring to the recent appearance of antisemitic stickers near a middle school on a sign honoring Ali Marpet, a Jewish Hastings-on-Hudson high school graduate and former NFL player with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“While they may seem small in some cases, they are intended to cause fear and intimidation,” Drake said.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, PNN is “a network of people who harass strangers, often Jews, prodding them about their stance on Palestine.” The group was founded after the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. The ADL identified its founders as Ramsey Aburdene and David Wolf, describing the latter as “a Jewish man from New Jersey and an extreme anti-Zionist.”
A similar incident was reported on Monday by the 2nd Ave Deli in New York City, which stated that protesters carrying the same style of sign targeted the kosher restaurant and harassed customers. The deli also reported an influx of negative online reviews from people who had not visited.
The ADL said it is “very concerned” about such incidents, calling them part of a “deeply troubling trend” targeting Jewish-owned businesses.
“Such discriminatory actions isolate community members, harm small businesses and do nothing to promote peace,” the organization said.
