Restaurant Owner Threatened for Flying Israel's Flag

A Montgomery County restaurant owner says he received two threatening and anti-Semitic phone calls in the middle of the night after he hung an Israeli flag outside his Potomac business.

Police are investigating a possible hate crime after Benny Fischer displayed an Israeli flag, along with an American flag, outside Benny’s Bar & Grill to show his support for Israel during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The first night the flags were up, Fischer told WNEW he received an anonymous phone call around 3 a.m. The caller threatened Fischer’s life if he did not immediately remove the Israeli flag and also made numerous anti-Semitic comments to Fischer. In a second call moments later the suspect continued his rant.

In response, Fischer called the unknown suspect a coward for calling in the middle of the night and using an unlisted phone number.

The news station says police are delving into Fischer’s phone records to track down the caller. They are investigating the calls as a possible hate crime.

New fighting between Israeli troops and militants in the Gaza Strip flared this summer after the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers in June, reports the BBC. After Hamas claimed responsibility for firing rockets into Israel, a series of Israeli air strikes began. Fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants is currently on hold after both parties agreed to a short-term ceasefire.

Fischer told the station he will proceed with a fundraising event next month at his restaurant to raise money for Magen David Adom, an Israeli organization similar to the American Red Cross.

The bar and grill is located at 747 Tuckerman Lane in Potomac.

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»PHOTO: The owner of Benny’s Bar and Grill in Potomac says a late-night caller threatened him if he didn’t immediately remove an Israeli flag from his restaurant. Credit: Screenshot from business website.