Israeli chef closes Berlin restaurant amid constant threats

Eyal Shani’s Gila & Nancy shutters doors following months of pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protests and intimidation

Gila & Nancy, the Berlin outpost of the Tel Aviv club created by chef Eyal Shani and his restaurant group, is closing its doors after pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protests and threats to Shani’s diners and employees.

The Berlin branch of the restaurant is listed as permanently closed.

The restaurant, which first opened in September 2025 after several failed attempts to officially open over that summer, was the target of an aggressive online campaign led by pro-Palestinian organizations and activists.

Demonstrations outside the restaurant targeted Shani’s partner, restaurateur Shahar Segal, who at the time was volunteering as a spokesperson for food distribution group Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

GHF’s efforts during its months of operation were marred by near-daily reports of shootings by IDF troops at Palestinians seeking to reach the aid distribution sites, with the UN saying that over 1,000 people were killed in those incidents.

The IDF later stated that the death tolls were inflated, that its troops only fired warning shots at those who posed a threat to troops, and that Hamas operatives and other gunmen were also opening fire at crowds of aid seekers.

Segal resigned from GHF, but Shani continued to describe a campaign of intimidation directed at the restaurant amid the new reality facing owners of Jewish and Israeli businesses in Europe.

He told various media outlets that death threats were sprayed on neighborhood trash bins, tomatoes were smashed against the restaurant’s windows and direct threats were made against his life and his staff.

Gila & Nancy’s September opening took place with police protection, according to local media coverage.

On opening night and since then, protesters have continued to gather outside and chant against the restaurant and its owners.

Shani was threatened on Instagram: “By day you’re murdering people; by night, you’re serving tomatoes.”

With the news of the restaurant’s closure, one protester posted on X:

“BREAKING: Former GHF spokesperson’s Berlin restaurant now PERMANENTLY CLOSED. Gila & Nancy, the Israeli restaurant opened in Berlin last year by chef Eyal Shani and restauranteur Shahar Segal, formerly the spokesperson for the American-Israeli genocide facilitation outfit GHF, was recently shut down, quietly and without any public announcement. The restaurant’s opening was postponed twice due to protests. Apparently, they should’ve gotten the hint.”

Shani operates around 50 restaurants worldwide, including the popular pita chain Miznon (with over 10 locations in the US), and the Michelin-starred Shmoné in New York.