Cafe Owner Faces Backlash After Allegedly Dismissing Freed Hostage in Tel Aviv

A wave of public anger erupted in Tel Aviv this week after Daniella Gilboa, one of the Israeli hostages freed from Hamas captivity, alleged that she was verbally mistreated at Nina Cafe in the city's Neve Tzedek neighborhood.

Gilboa, who endured unimaginable trauma while held in Gaza, recounted being refused access to the cafe’s restroom. According to her, the cafe owner coldly dismissed her plea, saying, “Who cares if you were kidnapped? They tell you no, so it's no. Get out of here.”

The cafe owner has denied using those words, instead claiming he politely refused Gilboa and directed her to a nearby public restroom. However, when Gilboa returned visibly shaken, she reportedly shared that the experience had triggered traumatic memories of her time in captivity. The owner responded, “It has nothing to do with you being kidnapped,” and reiterated that non-customers were not allowed access except those with disabilities.

The backlash was swift. Thousands of one-star reviews flooded Nina Cafe's Google and TripAdvisor pages, dragging its rating down dramatically. Some reviewers shared past negative encounters with the owner, describing him as aggressive and unwelcoming, with similar reports dating back several months.

This incident has touched a national nerve. For many Israelis, the treatment of returned hostages is deeply personal. The pain of October 7 still echoes, and the community’s instinct is to uplift, honor, and protect those who survived the horrors of Hamas captivity.

While the cafe owner defended his policy as necessary due to limited facilities and location in a tourist-heavy area, his alleged insensitivity has sparked a broader conversation about empathy, trauma awareness, and public responsibility.

Daniella Gilboa’s experience is a sobering reminder that our moral compass must always guide us, especially when interacting with those who bear the invisible scars of war and terror.

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