Queen’s Deli stands firm on its contentious name.
The Gaza Deli And Grill located on 48th Avenue in Woodside showcases slogans like “Save Gaza” and “Free Al Aqsa.” These phrases echo calls for the removal of Jerusalem from Israeli governance, paired with imagery of women and watermelons adorned with keffiyehs.
Natalie Sanandaji expressed her dismay on social media, stating, “Seeing these messages at a deli in my neighborhood feels like a punch in the gut. It’s more than just artwork; it’s a statement. For people like me, it’s a constant reminder that I’m not safe yet, even in the place I thought would bring me peace.”
Sanandaji, 30, reflected on the events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas targeted the Nova Music Festival, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis. She had spotted the deli while on her way to Brooklyn recently.
“I returned to New York hoping to find safety and stability. Instead, I feel out of place in my own city,” she shared. “I’m surrounded by individuals who celebrate the so-called ‘resistance’ on October 7th. That’s a victory for them, while I narrowly escaped death.”
Now serving as a spokesperson for the combat anti-Semitism movement, Sanandaji likened the deli’s name to calling it the “9/11 Deli” or the “Holocaust Deli.” “It’s all the same,” she remarked.
The deli owner dismissed the idea that Jewish individuals could criticize his branding. “They always try to play the victim,” he stated.
“We welcome everyone. Believe it or not, we still have many Jewish customers who continue to support us,” he added. “There’s really no reason for concern.”
Bilal Algazari, 26, named the deli to honor his mother’s Palestinian heritage and has received multiple death threats since its opening in February 2024. However, he stated he has no regrets about the name and even plans to name his future daughter “Gaza.”
Michel Adut, director of the End Jew Hatred movement, criticized the deli’s branding, calling it “the same kind of imagery Hamas uses to glorify violence against Jews.”
“We are witnessing a significant rise in anti-Jewish sentiment, and we are becoming desensitized to the displays of hatred in New York,” Adut wrote.
Ray Flashd, owner of Israel’s Flat Iron Restaurant Tabooa, described the deli’s messaging as “insane,” commenting that “there are too many Hamas supporters here in New York.”
