Woman who performed Nazi salute at protest is unmasked as owner of two kosher cafés inside Jewish hospital

A woman who was caught at a pro-Palestine demonstration giving the Nazi salute and making anti-Jewish threats has been unmasked as the owner of two kosher cafés inside the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Canada.

Mallie Mai Abdulhadi, 39, was shockingly caught on camera giving the Sieg Heil salute towards pro-Israel counter-protesters at last Thursday's protest at her alma mater Concordia University.

She attempted to shield her identity with a keffiyeh – a traditional Palestinian scarf – as well as a medical mask and sunglasses but was revealed as she taunted the opposing group.

Abdulhadi warned them in the video: 'Final Solution is coming your way. The Final Solution. Do you know what the Final Solution is? Do you know what the Final Solution is?'

Final Solution was the Nazi plan for the deliberate and systematic mass murder of Jews during WWII – it took place from 1941 to 1945 and saw the vast majority of Jewish victims murdered.

Abdulhadi was swiftly identified on social media as one of the owners of the Second Cup Café franchises in two pavilions of the Jewish General Hospital – both cafés are certified kosher, according to the Jewish Community Council of Montreal.

The café's overseeing company, Second Cup Canada, confirmed that Abdulhadi 'was filmed making hateful remarks and gestures' and it has 'zero tolerance for hate speech' on Saturday.

In a statement, the company explained: 'In coordination with the hospital, we've shut down the franchisee's cafe and are terminating their franchise agreement.

'This franchisee's actions are not only a breach of our franchise agreement, but they also violate the values of inclusion and community we stand for at Second Cup.'

Parent company Foodtastic said on X Sunday it will 'retain the café staff and continue to pay them until the location at the Jewish General Hospital reopens under new management.'

In a statement, the Jewish General Hospital said: 'We fully support Second Cup's decision to take swift and decisive action in this matter by shutting down the franchisee's cafes and terminating their lease agreement.'

Abdulhadi owned the Second Cup franchises since around 2015. In the company's annual report that year, she is pictured with Sabih Abdulhadi and Karen Diaz – the three were identified as 'franchisees.'

A hospital worker told DailyMail.com that he was surprised to learn about Abdulhadi's actions at the protest: 'What she did at the protest was just stupid on so many levels.'

Another hospital staffer said she stopped patronizing the café months ago when she noticed Abdulhadi's expressions of support for Palestine.

'This is an inclusive hospital and she's entitled to her views but I felt like I was entitled not to support her business.'

Amir Epstein, executive director of Jewish civil rights group Tafsik, told DailyMail.com that Abdulhadi 'experienced something she likely never anticipated: accountability.'

'This is a clear instance of someone believing they can openly call for genocide against the Jewish people and perform Hitler salutes without facing backlash.

'Even more shocking is the fact that she owned a kosher Second Cup at the Jewish hospital! How morally depraved and parasitic can one be?'

Epstein isn't confident Abdulhadi will face prosecution and said: 'The police show little interest in enforcing the law. They can learn a thing or two from Second Cup Canada, who immediately took action and terminated their contract with Ms Abdulhadi.

'We hope the police in Montreal will take this straightforward case and press charges against Mai Abdulhadi for her Nazi hate crime parade.'

In Canada, giving the Nazi salute is not a criminal offense but may contribute to a charge of 'public incitement of hatred' or 'wilful promotion of hatred' – both offenses have the maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Montreal police spokesperson Véronique Dubuc told DailyMail.com on Sunday there was no investigation underway as of Friday afternoon, but the hate crime unit encouraged witnesses and victims to come forward and file complaints.

Canadian politicians and advocates applauded the coffee shop chain's response but pushed for the police to serve justice on this 'hate crime'. 

Idit Shamir, the Israeli Consul General in Toronto, shared on X: 'Imagine chanting 'The Final Solution is coming' and throwing a Nazi salute at @Concordia — while running a café at Jewish General Hospital, a place built by Holocaust survivors.  

' Hate speech isn't just vile—it's a threat. And it will be met with consequences.'

Senator Leo Housakos of Quebec commended Second Cup for taking a 'principled stand at risk to their own business' and said he hopes 'everyone goes out and buys their coffee at @SecondCupCanada tomorrow!'

Paul Hirschson, consul general of Israel in Montreal, posted on X: 'All credit to a great company. I'm going to make a point of visiting more often. Thank you.'

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said on X that Abdulhadi's 'public hate speech, inciting violence, and threatening death to Jews in 2024 on the streets of Montreal requires a strong and immediate response from law enforcement. Enough is enough!'

According to her LinkedIn profile, Abdulhadi graduated from Concordia University in 2006 with a marketing degree and went on to spend more than a year at Canada's Corus Entertainment before taking roles at three foreign companies – including a development consulting firm based in Ramallah, Palestine.

She changed her now-deleted Facebook profile photo to solid black on Friday and wrote 'kulshi tamam' – an Arabic phrase that roughly translates to 'everything is great.'

Abdulhadi did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com.