Anti-Israeli protestors disrupt diners in Korean restaurant: Legit action or just plain nuisance?
JUST where does one draw the line?
Showing solidarity with Palestine in the on-going Israel-Hamas conflict can take many forms – peaceful protests, social media campaigns and of course, boycotts.
But can protestors single out individuals and their family members as targets of their ire?
This is apparently the case as highlighted by a post by journalist Sulaiman Ahmad (@ShaykhSulaiman) showing a video of a group of anti-Israel protestors taking their demonstration inside a restaurant in Seoul.
CHINESE PEOPLE DO NOT WELCOME BABY KlLLERS 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/8eTlk16Owm
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) June 8, 2025
Note that the mistake in identifying the protestors as 'Chinese' has been rectified by the poster.
The incident which took place on April 22 shows a group of protestors targeting the Israeli ambassador to South Korea Rai Harpaz.
In the footage, one protester can be seen telling the ambassador, 'Science and technology should not be used as tools of genocide' while another holds a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf near Harpaz's table.
Harpaz was dining with three other people. The Israeli embassy later confirmed that Harpaz was joined by family members. The ambassador is seen responding calmly with a 'thank you' while trying to avert his attention by making calls on his phone.
The situation was diffused by a man claiming to be a police officer who instructed the protestors to leave as there were other customers in the restaurant and that this was not the proper platform for a demonstration.
Don't emulate this in Malaysia
However, the protestors claimed the Israeli embassy refused to acknowledge them or have a dialogue. Eventually, the protestors did leave and it was reported that no arrest were made.
Is such conduct acceptable? One commenter highlighted the obvious error in ethnicity whilst applauding their actions.
Highlighting that 'humanity is universal', the pro-Palestine brigade praised the protestors for their bravery in standing up the 'occupying force'. One netizen went as far as to assert that Israelis were not welcome anywhere.
Despite Malaysia's official pro-Palestine stance, it must be underlined that this sort of behaviour cannot be normalised.
Why?
Imagine a group of Malaysian protestors doing the same to foreign diplomats in Kuala Lumpur by accusing them of being 'complicit' in the atrocities in Gaza. Or harassing those whom they believe have Jewish heritage.
Make no mistake for this is a very emotive and sensitive issue but therein lies the need to keep emotions in check.
There is no simple solution. Shouting at diplomats and their family in public spaces isn't going to change anything. – June 10, 2025
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