‘Pro-Palestine’ cafe owner refuses to serve Jewish family; netizens react, ‘That dude is a hero’

A Jewish family was thrown out of a restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam, because the owner said he didn't accept people from “their country”, Israel.

Dani Namdar and his wife Raizel, creators of the "That Jewish Family" vlog, visited Train Street with their two children when they faced the backlash.

While sharing a video of the incident on Instagram, Namdar said it was traumatic for their kids. They found it difficult to explain to their three-year-old about anti-Semitism and why someone would dislike him because of his heritage, he wrote on Instagram.

“This is not Germany in 1938. This is a ‘Pro Palestinian’ shop owner in Vietnam yesterday,” he wrote while referring to the Nazi treatment of the Jews during Hitler’s rule. The restaurant owner had a “Free Palestine” poster at his shop.

At one point, the owner sarcastically said that Namdar’s child was not safe at the cafe as Israel’s bombs could fly in from anywhere.

The parents discussed the event as a family, which saddened them because their young child had to face such cruelty, Namdar said in the post. He believed that the shop owner had been influenced by radical ideologies, which they found disheartening.

Despite this, he mentioned that this was their only antisemitic encounter in Vietnam, as everyone else had been very friendly.

Namdar shared another video in which the restaurant owner could be heard saying, “We just welcome humans, even cats and dogs.” According to Namdar, the Jewish people are not victims and will not allow anyone to diminish their pride.

“There might be so much hate, but our focus needs to be on love, because that is what is going to heal this world,” he wrote.

Netizens react

Not everyone agreed with Namdar as several social media users opposed his use of words while sharing the video.

“It’s not “because you’re Jewish” it’s because you’re pro Zionist! If you’re not pro Zionist u wouldn’t label this video as “Pro Palestine restaurant owner”,” wrote one user.

“Thanks for the Awesome review. Will definitely visit the restaurant now! That dude is a hero,” commented another user referring to the restaurant owner.

Another user said that the restaurant owner stood up for humanity and his beliefs. "…and you’re sitting there provoking him. He doesn’t need to service or serve you.”

“Chill out. Not like your kids got blown to pieces after being told to evacuate to a safe place,” posted another.

Israel-Palestine war

At least 38,153 people have been killed and 87,828 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7, according to various reports. The death toll in Israel from the Hamas-led attacks is estimated at 1,139, with dozens of people still held captive in Gaza.

In a recent development, Israel’s military has ordered the “immediate” evacuation for the Tuffah, Daraj and the Old City neighbourhoods of Gaza City, closing down the last functional hospital and sending thousands fleeing, Al Jazeera reported.