NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Dines at Controversial Palestinian Eatery on Oct. 7 Anniversary

On the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani dined at Ayat Hinds Hall on the Upper West Side, a Palestinian restaurant chain that has been denounced for featuring a menu section titled “From the River to the Sea.” The chain’s name honors Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian child killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, and also alludes to the renaming of Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall by anti-Israel demonstrators.

Owners Abdul Elenani and Ayat Masoud previously said the slogan pre-dated the attacks and that they support a two-state solution, while the Anti-Defamation League labels the phrase as an antisemitic call for Israel’s elimination. During the mayor’s visit, he faced a barrage of insults and accusations of genocide from protesters outside the restaurant, prompting his security detail to hold back the crowd. The incident highlights the heightened tensions surrounding commemorations of the Oct. 7 attacks and the politicization of cultural venues in New York City.