NYC Mayor Visits Pro-Palestinian Restaurant Erasing Israel

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked the third anniversary of the October 7th massacre with a visit to Ayat, a pro-Palestinian restaurant on the Upper West Side. The restaurant chain recently opened a new branch featuring a map of "Palestine" on its menu, which omits Israeli cities. Mamdani has visited Ayat before; the restaurant, which received a Michelin guide recommendation, was founded by Abdul Elanani and Ayat Masoud. He previously visited an Ayat branch during his mayoral campaign, conducting a live broadcast there in May 2026. This new branch, the chain's eighth, is the first Palestinian restaurant in the neighborhood. Despite a sign proclaiming "Muslims, Jews, Christians, whatever your faith, we are all human," the restaurant's menu includes a map labeling Israeli cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa as "Palestine," with all cities marked by their Arabic names. A message reading "End the occupation" appears in English, Hebrew, and Arabic at the top of the page. The seafood section of the menu features a pun on the slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be liberated." The restaurant walls display slogans such as "Resilience," "Freedom," and "Save Our Children." The new Upper West Side branch is named "Hinds Hall" in memory of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian child killed in Gaza who has become a symbol in pro-Palestinian protests. The name refers to an incident in 2024 when Columbia University students occupied a campus building and renamed it Hinds Hall, while activists allegedly blocked entry and called maintenance workers "Jew lovers." The Ayat chain supported these protesters, providing them with food at the time.