A newly opened kosher eatery in Athens was the target of a violent attack over the weekend, which the owners have described as antisemitic in nature. Greek officials are treating the incident as a suspected hate crime.
The restaurant, King David Burger, which launched in May in the Greek capital, shared a post on social media Sunday detailing the assault. According to the statement, around 10 p.m. Motzoei Shabbos, six masked individuals stormed the premises and caused significant damage.
The assailants threw flyers throughout the dining area and sprayed hateful slogans on walls and furniture. Messages included phrases like “No Zionist is safe here,” “Smash Zionism, fascism, colonialism,” and “Israel Death Forces — rapists, torturers, murderers.”
Footage from the attack, showing the vandalism in progress, was posted to the restaurant’s Instagram and TikTok accounts, clearly displaying the antisemitic graffiti.
The establishment is situated on Ermou Road, a bustling pedestrian street not far from Syntagma Square. Owned by Israeli entrepreneur Tzvika Levinson, the restaurant was created to cater to both local Jewish residents and visiting tourists, offering kosher fast food in a central location.
“The restaurant displays kosher certification, clearly identifying it with Israel,” Levinson told Yisroel Hayom on Sunday.
Levinson explained that the perpetrators were “pro-Palestinian anarchists” and that the whole incident unfolded within seconds, leaving no time to stop them.
At the time of the attack, all staff members present were Greek citizens, according to Levinson. “My only Israeli employee wasn’t there when it happened — he arrived after it was all over,” he noted.
“When one employee attempted to leave, [the vandals] threatened him, saying, ‘If you come out, it’s over for you,’” Levinson told Yisroel Hayom.
Though he is currently in Israel, Levinson said he stayed in constant contact with his staff as the situation unfolded.
He added that several suspects had been taken into custody and that the incident was being investigated as a hate crime. However, there has not yet been any formal statement from the Greek police on arrests.
Separately, police in Greece confirmed that a leader of the Rouvikonas anarchist group had been brought in for questioning following a pro-Palestinian march on Friday, during which demonstrators wearing black outfits adorned with Palestinian flags marched through central Athens.
Following the attack at King David Burger, supporters of the restaurant arrived almost immediately, even before the scattered flyers were cleaned up, as seen in videos shared on the eatery’s social media.
“We wanted to say that such actions only strengthen us and the understanding of how much strength and unity our people have,” the restaurant said in its statement about the incident.
Operations resumed as normal on Sunday, and the restaurant remained open for business.
Levinson called on the city of Athens to take proactive measures to ensure such attacks don’t recur, stressing the city’s popularity with Israelis.
“Hebrew dominates conversation throughout this Athens neighborhood,” he said. “Over 5,000 Israelis visit daily. Losing this Israeli presence would be tragic.”
{Matzav.com}