Long Island Diner Owner Faces Threats After Showing Support for Israel

By Samantha Vogel, Editor — Long Island Daily News

October 2025

Standing Up and Paying the Price

A Huntington diner owner says his small family business has become the center of a storm after he publicly showed support for Israel.

Peter Tsadilas, who has owned and operated the Golden Globe Diner for years, said what began as a heartfelt gesture turned into a test of endurance. Soon after he displayed Israeli and American flags outside his restaurant and hung posters showing hostages taken by Hamas, he began receiving hateful messages and even threats.

“It started out simple,” he told the Daily News. “I wanted to honor innocent people who were suffering. I never imagined it would turn into something ugly.”

The Emotional Toll

For months, Tsadilas kept the hostage posters up on his windows, counting the days since the October 7 attacks that left so many missing or killed. But as time went on, the backlash grew. Some customers stopped coming in. A few delivery drivers refused to pick up orders. Staff members left, and the diner’s social-media pages filled with divisive comments.

“It wore me down,” he admitted. “Every day I felt torn between doing what I thought was right and protecting my family and employees.”

After nearly two years, Tsadilas finally removed the posters — a moment he described as emotional but necessary. He said it wasn’t about changing his beliefs, but about moving forward after months of stress and financial loss.

“I took them down with tears in my eyes,” he said. “Not because I regret it, but because I wish people could see the humanity behind what I did.”

Community Divided

The controversy has divided locals in Huntington. Some residents have boycotted the diner, saying political symbols don’t belong in a place meant for everyone. Others have made a point of visiting more often, seeing Tsadilas as someone who stood by his convictions.

A longtime customer, Rachel K., called it “a sad sign of the times.”

“We used to be able to disagree and still share a cup of coffee,” she said. “Now everything feels like a fight.”

The tension echoes across Long Island, where many small-business owners say global conflicts have made their way into local conversations — and cash registers.

A Business Owner, Not a Politician

Tsadilas insists he never intended to make a political statement. “I wasn’t trying to divide anyone,” he said. “I was just standing up for people who were being hurt. But I learned quickly that even compassion can be controversial.”

He says business is slowly recovering thanks to loyal customers and new visitors who stop in after hearing his story. The diner’s windows now display a simple sign that reads “Peace for All.”

“I’m not going to let hate win,” he said. “At the end of the day, I run a diner — a place where everyone’s welcome to sit down, eat, and talk.”

Looking Ahead

The experience has left Tsadilas both proud and heartbroken. He says he’ll continue to speak out for causes he believes in, but with more caution.

“I’ve learned that doing what you think is right sometimes costs you,” he said. “But silence costs even more.”

For now, the Golden Globe Diner remains open, serving pancakes, coffee, and a side of conviction — proof that even in a divided time, one person’s stand can still make people stop and think.

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