The operators of a pro-Palestine restaurant have accused Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper of sending a Jewish man into the cafe to provoke a reaction from staff or customers.
Cairo Takeaway claims a Telegraph team comprising a reporter, photographer and video producer waited outside the business in Newtown while Israeli activist Ofir Birenbaum went in wearing a Star of David cap and pendant.
Daily Mail Australia has been told Mr Birenbaum was wearing sunglasses which could record any confrontation or interactions he had while identifying himself as Jewish.
Mr Birenbaum has participated in recent pro-Israel protests, while Cairo Takeaway’s owner has previously told ‘narcissistic Zionist pigs’ to stay away from his business.
A message posted to the restaurant’s Instagram account on Tuesday outlined what allegedly happened at Cairo Takeaway, located in the inner-west suburb of Newtown, earlier that day.
‘Yesterday, just after opening our restaurant at midday, a white male came in and ordered a hibiscus tea, with no fuss, whatsoever,’ the post stated.
‘After receiving the tea the ordered, he lingered in the restaurant and remained standing near the counter.
‘At this point, the server asked if there was anything else he wanted. He replied: “Do you have a problem with me because I’m Jewish?”‘
The operators of an Arab restaurant have accused the Daily Telegraph of sending Jewish man Ofir Birenbaum into the cafe to record staff or customers’ reactions. Mr Birenbaum is pictured outside Cairo Takeaway in a Star of David cap and pendant on Tuesday
The post stated the staff member was ‘shocked and completely taken aback’ by the question.
When the server said, ‘Excuse me?’, Mr Birenbaum said, ‘You’re intimidating me, you’re making me feel unsafe’, the post continued.
The post stated the staff member ‘tried to disengage by walking outside’, but was confronted by the Telegraph team ‘waiting in ambush’.
Daily Mail Australia understands the team was filming for a proposed documentary and intended to record ‘a day in the life of a Jewish person in Sydney’.
It is further understood the team had previously spent several hours that day in the eastern suburbs but had not obtained any confrontational footage.
‘It is very easy to infer that they had attended Cairo along with the instigator in an attempt at manufacturing a story,’ the restaurant’s Instagram post stated.
The post claimed the Telegraph crew ‘seemed to recognise that they were in too deep’ and tried to withdraw but Mr Birenbaum stayed.
Mr Birenbaum has participated in recent pro-Israel protests, while Cairo Takeaway’s owner has previously told ‘narcissistic Zionist pigs’ to stay away from his business. The cafe is pictured
‘Birenbaum then came in very close while sipping on his tea and said words to the effect of: “You Arabs make good tea”,’ the post stated.
‘The Daily Telegraph attempted to fabricate an antisemitic incident by sending a Zionist provocateur into an Arab restaurant.’
The post ended: ‘Free Palestine.’
Daily Mail Australia has been told Mr Birenbaum did get ‘a couple of strange looks’ in the cafe and that it was the reporter who had asked staff: ‘Do you have a problem with this man?’
Mobile phone footage captured some of what happened outside the restaurant as the Telegraph team and Mr Birenbaum walked down Enmore Road.
A woman, believed to be a Cairo Takeaway staff member, is heard saying: ‘And I’ll do exactly what you did to me – filming.’
A man’s voice then says, ‘That’s no problem at all, I was just trying to… ‘
The woman responds, ‘I know, darl, but you’re hanging around with the wrong crowd – that’s divisive journalism’, then Mr Birenbaum asks, ‘What do you mean “the wrong crowd”?’
The woman responded: ‘The wrong crowd, darl. You wanted to make anti-Semitic statements up here. Look at you, ashamed. Look at you, tails between your legs. F***ing hell, darl. You picked the wrong restaurant.’
Mr Birenbaum said: ‘What do you mean, the wrong restaurant?’
The woman responded: ‘Wrong restaurant to f***in’ try this s*** in.’
Daily Mail Australia understands the Telegraph crew was filming for a proposed documentary and intended to record a day in the life of a Jewish person. Mr Birenbaum is pictured
Daily Mail Australia has been told Mr Birenbaum got ‘a couple of strange looks’ while he was in the cafe (above)
Cairo Takeaway staff reported the incident to police, who attended the scene.
A police spokeswoman confirmed an investigation was conducted after a Cairo Takeaway staff member was ‘allegedly intimidated by a customer’.
‘Following inquiries, no criminal offence has been identified,’ the spokeswoman said.
Cairo Takeaway, which describes itself as ‘a little corner shop that serves food that is inspired by the streets and the homes of Egypt’ was opened by Hesham El Masry in late 2016.
In December 2023, Mr El Masry used Instagram to respond to a person who commented on a mural of the Palestinian flag painted on a raised fist outside his eatery.
‘Cairo Restaurant does not want narcissistic Zionist pigs like yourself coming into our restaurant,’ Mr El Masry wrote.
‘People like yourself are not welcome here and anywhere for that matter. The walls are closing in on your type. Your narrative is becoming old. F*** off!’
The post also featured a photo of two Palestinian children holding placards with the slogan ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’.
At the time, Mr El Masry did not tell Daily Mail Australia the details of the comment which sparked his anger, but he defended his reply to whatever was said.
‘The full context of my post and of the greater issues occurring to the children of Gaza’ needed to be considered, he said.
Mr El Masry added that he found mainstream media ‘always favouring the Israeli perspective’ in respect of Palestinian and Israeli issues.
A mural depicting a Palestinian flag painted on a clenched fist is pictured outside Cairo Takeway
Mr Birenbaum protested outside Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi’s office in Surry Hills in November 2023 by standing in a rubbish bin with a lid on his head.
That was in response to Senator Faruqi posting a picture of herself next to sign with a picture of an Israeli flag being put in a bin alongside the words ‘Keep the world clean’.
Mr Birenbaum dressed up as an octopus outside the Newtown officer of local Greens state MP Jenny Leong in February last year.
Two months earlier Ms Leong had referred to the ‘tentacles’ of the ‘Jewish lobby and Zionist lobby’ at Palestine Justice Movement meeting.
In December last year Mr Birenbaum was moved on by police after he unfurled an Israeli flag in front of pro-Palestine protesters outside the Great Synagogue in Sydney.
Daily Telegraph editor Ben English and other senior News Corp executives did not respond to repeated phone calls, texts and emails requesting comment.
Gusmaroli and Mr El Masry did not return calls and attempts were made to contact Mr Birenbaum.
