NEW YORK CITY: Keith McNally, the owner of New York's famed restaurant Balthazar, is no stranger to controversy, but his latest social media post apparently expressing sympathy for militant group Hamas in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict has found him in hot water.
The firestorm began when McNally posted a photo of the recent Palestinian militant group attack on Israel on his Instagram account, accompanied by a caption that read, "The More Utterly Repugnant The Facts, The Greater The Responsibility Becomes To Listen To The Other Side."
This seemingly empathetic stance towards the Palestinian militant group immediately drew outrage from his customers, fellow restaurateurs, and even his own associates, leading him to delete the post.
Defiant Keith McNally stands by his words amid growing criticism
Customers and hospitality industry insiders swiftly condemned McNally's post, with some vowing never to dine at his restaurants again. Even within McNally's own circle, the post ignited controversy.
President Joe Biden reported that a minimum of 11 American citizens lost their lives, with over 900 confirmed Israeli fatalities and more than 2,000 injuries resulting from the Palestinian militant group attack as of Monday afternoon, October 9.
"I stand by what I wrote this morning, THE MORE UTTERLY REPUGNANT THE FACTS, THE GREATER THE RESPONSIBILITY TO LISTEN TO T HE OTHER SIDE," McNally re-asserted to Page Six.
"This doesn’t mean forgive. This doesn’t mean not retaliate. It simply means listen. There’s nothing to lose by listening. Nothing whatsoever."
McNally attempted to clarify his position, stating, "I’m part Jewish. In the 1970s I lived for long stretches of time on an Israeli kibbutz. My older brother Peter risked his life spying for Israel. I think the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas are vile, barbaric, and totally repugnant."
He emphasized that his intent was not to condone the Palestinian militant group but to promote listening to opposing viewpoints.
Keith McNally's history of controversy
This incident is not the first time McNally has faced public scrutiny. Earlier this year, he faced criticism for controversial comments about English people being poor tippers.
Additionally, he made headlines for briefly barring British talk show host James Corden from his restaurants due to alleged mistreatment of servers, a ban that was later lifted after Corden issued an apology.
Calls for boycott over Keith McNally's controversial post
In response to McNally's recent post, some social media users voiced their displeasure, vowing to boycott his businesses.
A user tweeted, "
Another added, "Total douche take." A user claimed on Instagram, "Cancelling my Pastis reservation just like you're about to get cancelled."
A fourth added, "He should also discuss the other side of every murderous attack on every human."
"You have just lost your biggest customer base. Myself and Jews in New York love your restaurants," read a comment on Instagram, as per Daily Mail.
A user asserted, "I think you regret not using your brain before you spoke on this one. There is no "other side" to killing innocent people."
