The owner of a popular Sydney restaurant has told “narcissistic Zionist” Jews to stay away from his venue in an insulting Instagram post.
Cairo Takeaway owner Hesham El Masry posted the rant against a Jewish person after he made a comment about street artist Scottie Marsh.
Marsh recently painted a mural depicting the Palestinian flag on a raised and clenched fist as part of the #freePalestine movement outside the eatery, located in the busy restaurant strip of Enmore Road in Sydney's inner west.
In response to the comment, Mr. El Masry wrote: “Cairo Restaurant does not want narcissistic Zionist pigs like you coming into our restaurant.
'People like you are welcome here and nowhere. The walls are closing in on your type. Your story is getting old. F*** away!'
Cairo restaurant at Sydney's Enmore (above) has sparked debate over the Middle East conflict with a now-deleted Instagram post featuring a 'Zionist' poster. Above, the new mural of the eatery by street artist Scottie Marsh
Hesham El Masry's post (above) on his restaurant's Instagram page, which called one person a “narcissistic Zionist pig” and said they were not welcome in Cairo, has been deleted, but Jewish Australians are angry and continue to comment give on his page
Cairo owner Hesham El Masry (above) is a passionately pro-Palestine campaigner whose restaurant Instagram page has become a forum for fiery debate about the Middle East conflict
The message also included a photo of two Palestinian children holding posters with the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
The now-deleted post has been shared among Jewish people in Australia and abroad, causing both concern and anger.
Mr El Masry did not tell Ny Breaking Australia the details of the comment that sparked his anger, but he defended his words and said “the full context of my post and of the larger issues befalling the children of Gaza” needed to be considered taken.
He added that he felt the mainstream media “always favored the Israeli perspective” regarding Palestinian and Israeli issues.
Since the post's deletion, the debate over the Middle East conflict – which began on October 7 when Hamas killed Israeli festival-goers near the Gaza Strip and took others hostage – has continued to rage on the restaurant's Instagram page.
The exchanges between passionate pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian supporters have erupted into fiery messages and impassioned political debate.
In particular, an argument about whether “from the river to the sea” has a sinister subtext about “exterminating” Jewish people.
One Jewish woman was criticized after writing about the post: “Imagine teaching babies this kind of violence and hatred and imagine condoning it. It's abuse.'
The woman, who had an Israeli flag as her Instagram image, wrote: “I am a mother and I teach my children to love all people, unlike Hamas.”
One person described her comments as “Islamophobia coming out…please keep showing your true colors, drop that act of peace and love.”
Two other pro-Palestinian supporters attacked the woman, one calling Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu “the killer,” the other telling the woman, “Stfu!” and called her a “genocide supporter” and “land thief.”
One of them then rejected the Jewish moniker of being “the chosen people,” saying Israel had stolen Palestinian land and food and asking, “Should we all just drop dead for you?” Satan's chosen people!'
The restaurant attempted to settle the argument with a historical overview of the region before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
But the restaurant warned a pro-Israel poster, saying, “Stop your nonsense. Otherwise, we will have to delete your comments.”
Mr El Masry's restaurant (above) is located in the western Sydney suburb of Enmore
In a tense conversation, one man said, “I wonder what children in Israel are learning now? That it is okay to commit genocide in self-defense?'
Another replied. 'They have learned to love. And human life is the most important thing. You must remember that if Israel were to lay down its weapons, it would be wiped out within 24 hours.
“If the rest of the Middle East/Hamas lay down their weapons, there would be immediate peace.”
One person who used the forum to personally attack the restaurant wrote: 'Now I know where NOT to eat next time I visit Enmore. Makes the choice a lot easier.
'The food is second rate anyway. Much better Middle Eastern food elsewhere TBH'.
One poster mocked the restaurant's analysis of the current situation, asking whether it realized that “Egypt hates Hamas more than Israel.”
The poster continued, “The only group of people capable of protecting your country from this nonsense is Israel.
“Show some respect instead of calling them 'pigs', in fact, stick to making good food instead of geopolitical analysis.”