On Sunday morning, numerous restaurants across Israel declared their intention to close from 6:00 p.m. as a gesture of support for the families of hostages, following the devastating announcement of the deaths of six hostages: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi, Alex Lobanov, and Ori Danino.
The Sarona Market complex in Tel Aviv joined the initiative, issuing a statement to its tenants pledging full support for those choosing to close. "In light of the shocking revelations from the past 24 hours, which revealed that the State of Israel's neglect of the hostages led to their murder, Sarona Market expresses its deepest condolences and stands in solidarity with the families who have suffered such profound losses," the statement read.
"Given the overwhelming emotions, we have decided to offer full support to businesses in the market that choose to close their doors between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., as a sign of solidarity with the families and the wider community, and to participate in the protest demonstrations."
Renowned Israeli chef Haim Cohen announced the closure of his establishments "Jaffa-Tel Aviv" and "Dixie." In a message to Dixie staff, he wrote, "We woke to a bleak morning without a single ray of hope. We will not operate tonight. We're closing our kitchens in solidarity with the hostages still held captive and in support of their families, who have been an unbearable reality for 330 days. It's the least we can do. I encourage everyone to go out this evening and show support for the families."
The R2M Group, under the leadership of restaurateur Ruti Broudo, is also participating in the closure. Consequently, all branches of Delicatessen and Bakery, Hotel Montefiore Restaurant, R48 Restaurant, and Herzl 16 will be shuttered for the evening.
Photo credit: Oren Ben Hakoon Oren Ben Hakoon
In Jerusalem, Mousseline and Tmol Shilshom announced their participation in the closure. The Doctor Brothers Group restaurants – HaAchim, Doc, and Abie – are also joining the initiative. Israeli chef Assaf Granit, renowned for his acclaimed restaurants in Paris and Berlin, also announced that all Machneyuda Group establishments in Israel will close their doors in solidarity.
The list of participating establishments continues to grow, with about 200 restaurants participating as of Sunday noon.
Earlier in the day, Tomer Mor, CEO of the United Restaurateurs Association, spoke with Israel Hayom, saying, "We've decided to join this one-time, significant action out of deep empathy for the hostage families and profound grief for the six lives lost. We cannot normalize this situation or simply move on. The restaurants, humbly, are doing what they can to show support and take a stand."
