(JTA) — A New Mexico cafe owner is closing shop following backlash to a Facebook post full of anti-Semitic invective.
Michael Palombo, owner of V Roast Bistro in Albuquerque, apologized Monday in a new Facebook post for the tirade, since deleted, which called Jewish people “animals” who treated the Germans poorly, and blamed the Jews for the Holocaust, KRQE News 13 reported.
The post also blamed Jews for rising rent costs and Wall Street greed, spawning the Occupy movement, to which Palombo belongs.
Palombo was slammed on Facebook for his comments. He said his business slowed and the V Roast Bistro received lower ratings on social media.
Palombo said after the anti-Semitic post that he had been hacked and somebody “did a good job of pretending to be me,” KRQE reported. He said his business had been suffering since news of the post began circulating.
But in his apology on Monday, Palombo wrote in part: “It is not who I am or who we are or who we’ve been at V Roast Bistro. This has been one of the most painful and embarrassing moments of my life.”
He also wrote: “Again my deepest apologies and hope someday that i’m forgiven and most of all I forgive myself.”
He announced that he would be closing his business as soon as possible. In a later comment, Palombo acknowledged that he was not sorry to close the business.
“Truth is I’m happy to be letting this business go, so no matter what I did this business was going away I just made it easyer (sic) for me to do it.”
Palombo has had a landlord take him to court for failing to pay rent and a business partner take out a restraining order against him, KRQE reported, citing online records.
His Facebook feed includes several anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian posts shared from other sources.
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