An Israeli-owned kosher restaurant in Houston, Texas, called Taste of Tel Aviv was broken into early Tuesday morning after an Israeli flag was raised outside and the owner received threats. Although local police believe it was not an anti-Semitic hate crime and are continuing to investigate, one of the managers, Pam Bayliss, told American media that she believes this is not an "ordinary" criminal break-in, and that she is sure the robbers targeted her business because the Israeli flag flew in front of it.
Please note that this is not the first time the restaurant has been hacked. A similar incident occurred two years ago, but this time the damage caused to her was much greater.
Security videos of the venue, which serves Israeli and Middle Eastern dishes such as falafel, sabih, sambusak, shakshuka, jahanun, salads and more, documented a man wearing a mask who entered the restaurant through the ceiling after creating a hole in it, damaging the electrical and air conditioning infrastructure. The burglar rummaged through paperwork, vandalized and even stole holy books, and eventually broke down the front door and exited holding the cash register, which was empty. "He was looking for something specific, I don't know exactly what, but he didn't find it," Bayliss explained.
A dish served on site,
In a post shared by the Houston Police Department on X (formerly Twitter), it said: "We are aware of the concern among the Jewish community following the break-in earlier today at 9804 Hillcroft Street. Based on preliminary investigative materials, it appears that the incident was not motivated by hatred. It is believed that this was the action of a lone person who broke into the business and tried to steal valuables before fleeing the scene."
HPD Statement on Burglary Incident at 9804 Hillcroft#HouNews pic.twitter.com/0b3YUJuXfj
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) November 8, 2023
However, Bayliss does not agree with the police's assessment and believes that the break-in is indeed related, at least in part, to anti-Semitism, since she says the restaurant has received threats in recent weeks, against the background of the war in Gaza. Bayliss contacted the police to report the threats, and in response was advised to remove the Israeli flag from the front of the business. She refused to do so and the flag remained in place.
Meanwhile, the restaurant reopened Wednesday, and Bayliss has no intention of giving up. "I don't feel like we need to change the way we do business to please other people," she clarified. "They all have different religions, different beliefs and different gods. I won't bend so easily."
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