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I was at Eyal Shani’s Manhattan restaurant Shmoné when it won a Michelin star
(New York Jewish Week) — Following a long period of back-and-forth, my friends and I had finally agreed on a date for a group dinner: Tuesday, Nov. 7. With the date scheduled two months in advance, babysitters were booked, spouses were alerted, no work conferences were scheduled — a true miracle for busy New Yorkers.
The next hurdle was securing a reservation. Thankfully, we all agreed that, following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, dining at an Israeli restaurant was a top priority — not only did we want to support an Israeli business, we wanted to enjoy some Israeli comfort food during this fraught time.
That is how the five of us ended on Tuesday night at Shmoné, a Greenwich Village restaurant from Israeli celebrity chef Eyal Shani that opened in May 2022. Truth be told, none of us knew much about this particular establishment, but what could be bad? Shani is a well-known TV personality in Israel and the chef behind the popular fast-casual chain Miznon, which boasts three outposts in New York City. He operates more than 40 restaurants worldwide, including New York City’s well-regarded HaSalon and Port Sa’id.
Shmoné landed Shani in the Michelin guide for the first time ever this spring — meaning it was in the running for a coveted star status. According to the Michelin Guide, the restaurant, whose menu changes daily, “punches way above its weight with dazzling Neo-Levantine cuisine.”
Little did we know, however, that our long-anticipated group dinner was set to coincide with the Michelin awards ceremony, held Tuesday at Spring Studios in Tribeca. There, 13 New York City restaurants received one or more Michelin stars — including, yes, one star for Shmoné, Shani’s first.
This news had yet to break as we kicked off our meal with appetizers: a Jerusalem bagel that came to the table piping hot and accompanied by za’atar to dip in, carefully cut cylinders of cucumber and tiny green olives — as well as figs with stracciatella, a creamy, stretchy cheese that tastes similar to burrata.
For our mains, we enjoyed a creamy lasagna also made with stracciatella; a deconstructed version of sabich, with half a roasted eggplant sitting atop a golden yogurt sauce; vegan mashed potatoes; spinach rigatoni and, finally, lamb kebab with roasted tomato and rice that, as the menu says, “reminds me of Jerusalem.”
Sated and happy, we finished our meal with the burnt Basque cheesecake, and shots of arak.
Employees at Shmone celebrated when they learned the restaurant won a Michelin star on Nov. 7, 2023. (Shannon Sarna)
As dinner was winding down and our group was figuring out our best routes home and how to split the bill, we heard a bell ring out from the open kitchen and a loud commotion. We all looked around, confused. One of my friends suggested, “I think it’s a sports thing?”
But then, the news was shouted to the restaurant from within the kitchen: “We got a Michelin star!” Absolute joy burst forth from the staff: Chefs hugged each other, waiters and managers stopped in their tracks to take in the moment. About 10 minutes later, Executive Chef Nadav Greenberg returned from the ceremony, and more celebratory clapping, singing and shouts ensued.
A bottle of champagne was opened for the restaurant’s employees and customers cheered as they took selfies. It was quite a thing to witness, with everyone taking videos, shouting “mazal tov” and clapping.
Back in May, Shani had told the New York Jewish Week he was honored to be included in the Michelin guide, but that he was “not focusing on getting Michelin stars.” Whether or not that’s true, it’s clear that his staff and his customers were overjoyed by the outcome: Shmoné, along with seven other establishments, joined the list of only 55 out of New York’s 24,000 restaurants with a single Michelin star.
In a moment in which the news out of Israel is so abysmal, the experience of being in a packed Israeli restaurant amidst a night of accolades and celebration was a much-needed balm for the soul. And belly.
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French Official Tells Paper Arab Countries Will Condemn Hamas, Trying to Get Palestinian Statehood Recognized
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks to the media on the day he attends the European Union Foreign Ministers council in Brussels, Belgium, July 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Yves Herman
Arab countries will for the first time condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament early next week at a United Nations ministerial event in New York, a move meant to lure more European countries to recognize Palestinian statehood, France’s foreign minister said on Saturday.
In an exclusive interview with French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot said the move was part of a long-planned initiative between France and Saudi Arabia.
“For the first time, Arab countries will condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament, which will seal its definitive isolation. European countries will in turn confirm their intention to recognize the State of Palestine. Half of European countries have done so, all others are considering it,” Barrot told the JDD.
“The British Prime Minister has stated his intention to do so. Germany is considering it at a later stage. We will launch an appeal in New York for other countries to join us in order to set in motion an even more ambitious and demanding process that will culminate on September 21,” Barrot added.
On Thursday French President Emmanuel Macron announced France would formally recognize the state of Palestine at the U.N. General Assembly on September 21, drawing condemnation from the U.S. and Israel.
Earlier on Saturday Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni called it counterproductive to recognize a Palestinian state before it is established.
On Friday a German government spokesperson said there were no plans to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term.
At the upcoming United Nations event on Monday and Tuesday, France and Saudi Arabia plan to lay out a proposed post-war roadmap leading to a two-state solution covering security, reconstruction and governance, which will be compatible with the Abraham Accords negotiated by US President Trump, Barrot said.
The French minister added that in coming weeks the European Commission would take a tougher stance on Israel and demand a stop on building of any new settlement projects in the West Bank, and also an end to militarized policing of humanitarian aid distribution.
Barrot also called on fellow European countries to demand a removal of the financial blockade on the Palestinian authority so it can receive 2 billion euros he said it is owed.
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Jordan and UAE Drop Aid Into Gaza in First Airdrop in Months, Jordanian Source Says
An airplane drops humanitarian aid over Gaza as seen from northern Gaza Strip July 27, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into the Gaza Strip on Sunday in their first airdrop in months, a Jordanian official source said.
The official said the air drops were not a substitute for delivery by land.
The post Jordan and UAE Drop Aid Into Gaza in First Airdrop in Months, Jordanian Source Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Trump Says Israel Will Have to Decide on Next Steps in Gaza, Pledges More Aid
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 8, 2025. Photo: Kevin Lamarque via Reuters Connect.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday Israel would have to make a decision on next steps in Gaza, adding that he did not know what would happen after the collapse of ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations with the Hamas terrorist group.
Trump underscored the importance of securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, saying they had suddenly “hardened” up on the issue, and said the US would provide more aid to the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
“They don’t want to give them back, and so Israel is going to have to make a decision,” Trump told reporters at the start of a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at his golf property in Turnberry, Scotland.
“I know what I’d do, but I don’t think it’s appropriate that I say it. But Israel is going to have to make a decision,” he said, while also claiming, without evidence, that Hamas members were stealing food coming into Gaza and selling it.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both appeared on Friday to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, saying it had become clear that the Palestinian group did not want a deal.
Netanyahu said Israel was now mulling “alternative” options to achieve its goals of bringing its hostages home from Gaza and ending Hamas rule in the enclave.
Trump said he believed Hamas leaders would now be “hunted down,” telling reporters: “Hamas really didn’t want to make a deal. I think they want to die. And it’s very bad. And it got to be to a point where you’re going to have to finish the job.”
US TO PROVIDE MORE AID, TRUMP SAYS
Trump on Sunday said the US would provide more humanitarian aid to Gaza, where concerns are mounting about the worsening hunger, but wanted other countries to participate as well. He said he would discuss the issue with von der Leyen.
“We’re giving a lot of money, a lot of food, a lot of everything,” he said. “If we weren’t there, I think people would have starved, frankly. They would have starved, and it’s not like they’re eating well.”
He said he had spoken with Netanyahu and discussed a number of issues, including Iran. He said and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would also discuss Israel when they meet at Trump’s golf property in Turnberry on Monday.
Trump also noted said the United States was not acknowledged for earlier food aid for Gaza.
“No other country gave anything,” he said, calling out European countries in particular. “It makes you feel a little bad when you do that and, you know, you have other countries not giving anything… Nobody gave but us. And nobody said, Gee, thank you very much. And it would be nice to have at least a thank you.”
The post Trump Says Israel Will Have to Decide on Next Steps in Gaza, Pledges More Aid first appeared on Algemeiner.com.