It is a quintessential New York Story.
Gazala's is an unusual restaurant, with Druze cuisine and owned by Gazala Halabi, a divorced Druze woman from Israel. Located in Manhattan, it has had good reviews for years.
The owner is a proud Israeli and displays Israeli flags and a map of Israel on her menu. Since October 7, she has been subject to death threats, screaming customers, vandalism and her glass door has been smashed.
Ever since her restaurant has been subject to attack, the New York Jewish community has been showing solidarity, coming to her restaurant and helping her out.
This is a perfect story for the New York Times. After all, only days after October 7, the newspaper featured a Palestinian restaurant in Brooklyn, Ayat, that was also under attack - with a wave of bad reviews on Yelp.
No one vandalized Ayat. No one threatened the owners or their workers. No one broke plates and glasses. No one screamed at them. While Gazala's restaurant features Israeli flags, Ayat features murals of evil looking Israeli soldiers breaking into the bedroom of an innocent Palestinian girl.
Even the bad reviews were removed quickly.
Both Ayat and Gazala's previous restaurant has positive reviews in the New York Times - Ayat, twice, making that the third NYT article featuring the Palestinian restaurant in four years.
But the Times has not mentioned Gazala's being under attack, Halabi's patriotism and perseverance, and the Jewish community's support for her.
Neighborhood New York papers did. Jewish newspapers did. The New York Post did. Israeli newspapers did. Even Haaretz just published a story on Gazala and Gazala's.
But not the New York Times, which prides itself on stories of oppressed minorities fighting back against bigotry and hate.
Media bias is not only crimes of commission. Often they are crimes of omission.
There is no way the local reporters and editors in the Metropolitan section of the paper are not aware of Gazala's. Bany metric of what is newsworthy, Gazala's is far more important than Ayat.
But to them, an Arab Druze woman defending her country of birth and being supported by her supposed enemies is not newsworthy - when she is a proud Israeli.
