A Berlin restaurant owned by Israeli celebrity chef Eyal Shani has been forced to close after it was the target of a campaign by pro-Palestinian activists.
Gila and Nancy opened in 2025 but immediately found itself subject to protests. Shani said that death threats were sprayed on bins, tomatoes were splattered over the restaurant’s windows, and direct threats were also made to him and his staff.
The restaurant's opening event in September, which had been delayed multiple times, had to take place with police protection, according to the Times of Israel.
From the opening night, and repeatedly since then, Shani said that protesters have gathered outside, chanting and intimidating diners and staff, according to the newspaper.
He was also threatened on Instagram, with one social media user writing: “By day you’re murdering people; by night, you’re serving tomatoes.”
The restaurant is now listed as permanently closed, after just eight months open.
One protester wrote on social media: “The restaurant’s opening was postponed twice due to protests. Apparently, they should’ve gotten the hint.”
Shani owns more than 50 restaurants worldwide, including the chain Miznon.
The Miznon branch in Kensington and its sister restaurant Erev has also been subject to repeated anti-Israel protests, including one in January when police were forced to move the protesters on.
Despite the attempts at intimidation, Miznon boss David Goldstein told the JC later that month that thanks to the support from the community, the restaurant was bouncing back.
“A lot of people have come here to support a local business they feel is being unfairly targeted, out of principle — and defiance,” he said. “The response has been heart-warming. It shows people saying, ‘enough is enough’, and choosing to stand with us.”
However, Goldstein admitted he had been concerned over the effect of the protests on his staff, saying: "What has happened has been incredibly difficult for our team.”
According to protesters, both in Berlin and London, Shani’s restaurants are targets in part because of his business partner Shahar Segal, who had links to the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) – a joint Israeli-US organisation set up to distribute aid in Gaza, but which critics claim is violent towards Palestinians.
Even after it was revealed that Segal had parted ways with the organisation, according to reports, Shani said that the protesters kept on targeting Gila and Nancy.
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