The Israeli owner of a new kosher burger restaurant in Athens says pro-Palestinian vandals attacked his restaurant on Saturday night, spray-painting anti-Israel graffiti and warning the Greek staff not to move lest they be harmed.
“Actions like this only remind us how strong and united our people are 🇮🇱❤️,” King David Burger posted on social media on Sunday, adding that supporters had subsequently visited the restaurant. “A huge thank you to everyone who came by yesterday, showed love, and reminded us we’re not alone. We’re here for good food, good vibes, and real connections.”
The six-week-old restaurant shared footage showing graffiti that denounced the “Israel Death Forces” and warned, “No Zionist is safe here.” The restaurant’s owner, Zvika Levinson, told Israel Hayom from Israel that Greek authorities were investigating and that he hoped Athens’ mayor would meet with him about ways to keep Israelis in Athens safe.
“Attacks against Israeli tourists and, more broadly, our Jewish fellow citizens must be addressed by activating the anti-racism law to the degree of a felony,” a right-wing lawmaker, Adonis Georgiadis (who has promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories in the past), said in a statement retweeted by the Israeli Embassy in Greece. “The blanket targeting of a people is the definition of racism, and in Greece, this must be met with zero tolerance from the authorities.”
Restaurants owned by Israelis have been recurring targets of anti-Israel demonstrators since the launch of the war in Gaza in 2023. Groups of protesters have targeted restaurants in, among other places, Philadelphia, New York City and, earlier this month, Melbourne, Australia. Many of the incidents have generated increased support for the restaurants.
Athens has seen a surge of Israeli presence since the start of the war in Gaza as it has become a way station for travelers seeking to manage flight costs and interruptions. Another Israeli restaurant, Shuk, opened this year on Ermou Street, the thoroughfare in downtown Athens that also includes King David Burger and the Greek capital’s Holocaust memorial.
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