Popular Palestinian shawarma restaurant King of Falafel and Shawarma located in New York is asking diners to step on a picture of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they enter. The eatery’s owner placed images of political leaders including Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden on the restaurant floor, accompanied by words like "Zionists" or "war criminals," along with a message urging patrons to "step on us – we love it."
This move, dubbed by the restaurant owner as the "floor of shame," has provoked strong reactions from passersby, including neighbors and Jewish diners who were shocked by the display. Several customers who spoke with Ynet said they were told by a staff member that they wouldn’t be served unless they stepped on the leaders’ images.
Some of the images were also placed on the public sidewalk, which violates New York City regulations. Following an inquiry by Ynet, the city announced an investigation, saying, "Mayor Eric Adams is unequivocally opposed to all forms of hate and discrimination."
Adams’ image is also among those on the floor, along with other figures like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and even Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
According to Beitar USA, the inclusion of the latter figures demonstrates support for terrorism. "New York has become a place where Jew-haters feel comfortable and Hamas and Hezbollah flags fly freely. Jews are in danger in a city where terrorists who murder and kidnap Americans are celebrated," the organization said. They recently issued a warning against traveling to the city and urged Jews worldwide to avoid visiting.
Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis commented on the issue, saying: "I’ve been warning about such violent and ugly phenomena for months. Terror supporters in the U.S. are cynically using American democracy to destroy it, exploiting free speech to promote hate. Clear responses against this violence and incitement are needed, both from law enforcement and public figures."
King of Falafel and Shawarma is owned by Fares Zeideia, a 58-year-old Palestinian-American who emigrated from Ramallah to New York at age 15. He started out with a food truck in 2002, later adding shawarma to the menu, and opened an eatery in Astoria, Queens in 2016. Today, he has three more branches in New York, with another one soon opening in Chicago.
The shawarma spot has received numerous accolades in the American media and has been listed among New York’s best street food by CNN and Time Out. It has won several Vendy Awards for best street food in the U.S. with the New York Times giving it a glowing review.
The restaurant is strongly associated with Palestinian and anti-Israel messages. In addition to the images of the leaders spread on the floor, a large "Free Palestine" flag hangs above the window and restaurant sign. Inside, a large mural depicts graphic scenes from the war in Gaza, including bloodied medical teams and suffering women and children.
In an interview with the Daily Express, Zeideia said the images have been on the restaurant floor since before the war in Gaza, "but then October 7 came, and everything got worse," and the collage continued to grow as the West supported Israel’s war in Gaza.
That’s when Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and others were added on the floor alongside Netanyahu. "The only way I could protest is putting the pictures on the floor for people to see, people to step on. In the Middle East, when you put someone's picture for people to step on, that's a disgrace."