According to CTV News Montreal, a Jewish-owned restaurant in the city's Mile End neighborhood was struck by projectiles, believed to be fired from an airsoft gun. The owner of Falafel Yoni, Yoni Amir, said that his staff discovered the damaged windows on Wednesday morning and promptly alerted the authorities.
Amir expressed his belief that the attack was motivated by antisemitism, stating, "I am Jewish. I do happen to have been born in Israel and despite not having made political commentary, we did make our way onto this boycott list, and it seems as though it has led to this targeting of the business. We actually very intentionally have never made any political commentary whatsoever. I don't feel as though a restaurant should be a platform for politics so we very intentionally didn't want to polarize anybody or ostracize anybody" He referenced boycott lists circulating online that called for boycotting businesses perceived as supporting Israel, even though his business never involved itself in politics.
Montreal Police spokesperson Sabrina Gauthier confirmed that the force is investigating the incident, in which three projectiles were found in the restaurant's storefront windows. Investigators are currently unsure which weapon was used in the attack.
Une entreprise juive a été ciblée hier soir juste parce qu'elle est juive. C'est un rappel des pires moments de l'humanité. J'appelle tous les gouvernements et la société civile à stopper cette haine. En tant que conseiller municipal à Montréal, condamnons ces attaques! #Polmtl pic.twitter.com/FGg50l9tlo
— Sonny Moroz (@SonnyMtl) June 19, 2024
In the months following the Israel-Hamas war, Amir said people have stuck "Free Palestine" and "genocide" stickers on his store's windows. "The message is the same and the intention is pretty clear. I think the idea is to send a message to cause some kind of fear and for lack of a better [word] spread some terror to the business owners," Amir told CTV News Montreal. "It's unnerving, it's unsettling. I'm upset that it creates that feeling for the staff and the people who actually have to come work here every day to have that kind of hatred or violence or tension brought to their workplace. It's not okay."
The incident has drawn condemnation from political leaders. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante stated in a social media post, "Antisemitism and violence, whether expressed in images, words or actions, do not represent us and have no place in Montreal."
City Councilor Sonny Moroz described it as "a reminder of humanity's worst moments. I call on all governments and civil society to stop this hatred. Let's condemn these attacks!"
