REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - The ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip is hitting close to home after a recent incident at Rosenfeld's Jewish Deli.
Owner Warren Rosenfeld says he preaches peace and love to and for both sides involved in the Israel-Hamas War, but that didn't matter to one man earlier this week who burst into the Rehoboth Beach location and started to shout.
"He stood up, got in the middle of the dining room and screamed 'Free Palestine' about six times, right in the waitress's face," Rosenfeld says.
Rosenfeld says he spends 20 minutes a day deleting hateful Facebook comments. Despite all that he's determined not to give up on his hope for peace in Gaza and here locally. He reminds others that he, like almost everyone else in the world, has no control over what Israel is doing.
"If there are any Muslim individuals or Middle Eastern individuals out there that would like to sit and break bread with me and help me set an example for others, I'd be happy to do so," Rosenfeld says.
Given the temperature of the topic, it's no surprise that Rosenfeld's staff was rattled but he did not call police.
CoastTV left messages with multiple Islamic community outreach centers on Delmarva. If we do hear anything back we'll follow up on this story.
This wasn't the first time the war in Gaza was mentioned on the coast. In December there was a peaceful march for Palestine on North Division Street in Ocean City at the boardwalk. The march called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.