Many restaurateurs announced yesterday (Tuesday) that they will open their businesses as usual this evening, the eve of Tisha B'Av, mainly in Tel Aviv. Among the restaurants that will open their doors today are the restaurants of Ruti Brodo and Yuval Ben Neria. Chef Haim Cohen also announced that he would open his restaurants this evening, but retracted his remarks during the day. The opening of the restaurants was presented as a sign of protest against the law to abolish the grounds of reasonableness passed last Monday in the Knesset. However, it should be noted that most of these restaurants are not open on the eve of fasting for the first time. Among other things, restaurateurs with whom we spoke claimed that they would open their restaurants on the eve of the fast in order to cater to the secular public, and mainly, because they want to make a living during a difficult economic period, but not as an act of protest.
Ruti Brodo also opened last year, Photo: Efrat Eshel
The opening of the restaurants caused a clash between those who oppose it on Tisha B'Av and the restaurateurs who decided to work tonight. The high point was expressed, among other things, when various groups on WhatsApp and social networks circulated the list of restaurants that remain open and asked to reserve tables in vain. The groups wrote: "The names of restaurants that do not respect and open today on the eve of Tisha B'Av (prohibited by law). So everyone dials tonight to keep a seat, name leftists (think good name) and drive them crazy. Keep a table of 2-6 people. Whoever wants to just call and give them a heads-up. Whoever does not respect the things that are sacred to us, we will not respect him. The people of Israel are alive." Restaurants told us that the move significantly disrupted restaurant operations today.
A message leaked to me from a group of babysitters.
Remember that while we just want to live our lives, they want to bully and harass on purpose.
And that's the difference between the camps. pic.twitter.com/v4Bsye1V4v
— Dana Gat (@DanaGat1) July 26, 2023
As mentioned, there are restaurateurs who decided to open tonight and there are those who think that this is not the right way to demonstrate against the legislation. "We don't usually open businesses on Tisha B'Av. This year, in light of the catastrophic economic situation and the civil upheaval that the country is experiencing, we have reached a point where we are unable to close the business for another moment. As far as we're concerned, it's completely economic," explains chef Jonathan Borowitz, "strong restaurateurs together" and owner of M25.
"It is important to note that without this aggressive government and its actions, we would probably be left with a choice. Unfortunately, this is not the case. We have no interest in breaking the law. We are facing a broken trough with no other choice. All we ask is to make a living and earn a living," he added, clarifying: "The entire blame lies with the government and its leader, it is reasonable to assume that if the issues for which they were elected were dealt with, such as the cost of living and the intolerable difficulties experienced by small business owners, this crisis would have been spared from all of us and Tisha B'Av would have passed as it did in previous years." Borowicz added that businesses in Tel Aviv are "already open." "We don't stand up to put a finger in anyone's eye," he said.
Jonathan Borowitz, Photo: Ofer Chen
Another source in the restaurant industry told Israel Hayom today: "An overwhelming majority of restaurants that open on Tisha B'Av were also open last year. It has nothing to do with the protest, it mainly has to do with the bad business situation of the restaurants in recent months." He added: "The chefs who linked the protest to the opening of restaurants on Tisha B'Av put unnecessary spin at the expense of their colleagues."
Shayka Rabinowitz, owner of the Basel Congress Restaurant, which is opening the restaurant tonight, said today that "this is absolutely not an act of protest. There is no connection between the opening and the demonstrations. I'm into giving good food and making a living. We are in a difficult period in the restaurant industry. We don't have time for protests. We are living in a whirlpool of corona, wars."
Rabinowitz also added that he did not know that preparations had to be made for closure: "Tell me to close from moment to moment? It doesn't work that way. Usually the Tel Aviv municipality gives a warning the day before, like before the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, and this time it didn't happen. In the restaurant, you prepare inventory." On the fact that opening in violation of regulations, which can result in fines, he explained: "No one told us anything. I understood that most of them open in Tel Aviv. I don't understand why give a report."
On the other hand, there are restaurateurs who think that restaurants should be closed on this evening. Eyal Danilov, owner of Coals, Gino&co and Rehovot Bakery, said: "It seems to me an act of defiance, it's a holy day. It's like deciding to open businesses on Holocaust Remembrance Day and Memorial Day. If everyone opens his business whenever he wants, it will be the destruction of the Third Temple. There are differences of opinion between right and left and we will have many more disagreements, we are a diverse people. It is impossible for everyone to take the law into their own hands."
Danilov added: "There are some days like this that we honor, such as Yom Kippur, Memorial Day and Holocaust Remembrance Day. We have to respect each other and that's what unites us. We need to maintain the status quo and maintain minimal respect for each other. These days should be left out of politics. You can protest, but this is already a quantum leap. If everyone does what they want, it will reach a point of no return."
The municipality's announcement of the obligation to close, photo: Tiger Kiosk
Meni Arazi, owner of Dali Restaurant in Jerusalem, who is closing his restaurants this evening, said: "I think we need to separate the eve of Tisha B'Av from politics. It's an age-old tradition and nothing will happen if restaurants are closed. I close the restaurant early today and I respect everyone. I think if you respect everyone, people will respect you."
When asked if he supported the legislation, he replied: "It should be noted that I do not support reform, but even someone like me who does not support reform, does not support defiance. To say that because I don't support reform, I support opening businesses on Tisha B'Av? Not either. The move to open restaurants on the eve of Tisha B'Av is defiance. We can do other protests, which are legitimate."
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