Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference in Yardley, Pennsylvania, Monday, December 4, 2023. (AP)

On Sunday, hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters gathered in front of an Israeli-owned Falafel restaurant as part of a rally through Philadelphia, chanting slogans to stop the genocide, with some even charging the restaurant Goldie with complicity in the genocide in Gaza.

The White House deemed the call to end the genocide in Gaza as "anti-semitic", as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro took to X to coin the protest a "blatant act of anti-semitism - not a peaceful protest. A restaurant was targeted and mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli. This hate and bigotry is reminiscent of a dark time in history."

Tonight in Philly, we saw a blatant act of antisemitism — not a peaceful protest.
A restaurant was targeted and mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli. This hate and bigotry is reminiscent of a dark time in history. https://t.co/WS2guahnsQ
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) December 4, 2023

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates also called it "antisemitic and completely unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve Israeli food over disagreements with Israeli policy."

Bates added "President Biden has fought against the evil of antisemitism his entire life, including by launching the first national strategy to counter this hate in American history. He will always stand up firmly against these kinds of undignified actions."

What is 'Israeli food'?

The protest at Goldie served several purposes in showcasing solidarity with Palestine, but one takeaway was the specific targeting of this location, and that is the cultural appropriation of Palestinian food.

Goldie profits from Palestinian recipes and national foods. Falafel is part of the traditional Palestinian cuisine, and the protest in front of Goldie came to break the excuse that restaurants that serve 'Israeli food' should not be included in protests. However, the protest was against the appropriation of a culture by a colonial force, and the fabrication of an identity based on the erasure of Palestinians.