NYC Coffee Shop Investigated by DOJ for Banning Congressman Over Israel Views

A New York City coffee shop is facing a Department of Justice investigation after banning a congressman over his views on Israel.

Poetica Coffee posted a photo of NY-10 Representative Dan Goldman at the Brooklyn outlet, with a caustic post saying they would have turned him away if they had recognized him at the time.

The post, which has since been taken down, read: “Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?

“See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between. Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away.

“We issued you a refund—we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways). Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Don’t ever come to Poetica.”

This incident is now being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s civil rights division.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon posted to X on Monday: “Federal law prohibits public accommodations such as coffee shops from discriminating against patrons based on their race, religion, or national origin.

“These actions are not only reprehensible, they’re potentially illegal. The Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation, and will bring an enforcement action if warranted.”

Rep Goldman said the coffee shop’s attack was “a sad state of affairs”, adding that he had been treated well by staff at the time of his visit.

“I had such a nice interaction with the barista in the coffee shop,” Goldman told CNN. “She was wearing a hijab, I didn’t know her, but she couldn’t have been nicer and allowed my daughter to go use the bathroom.

“I honestly was so grateful for her kindness that I felt like I should buy a coffee, and so I did, and I gave her a large tip. It’s a reflection, I think, of a sad state of affairs that without knowing me, we could have had such a nice interaction.”

Goldman, a Levi Strauss heir, is facing a primary for his seat June 23, where polling suggests he will lose to another Jewish candidate, Mamdani-backed Brad Lander.

Both Lander and Goldman’s views on Israel have been focal points of their campaigns. They both define themselves as a liberal Zionists, however, Lander, former comptroller of New York City, has called Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide and has described the treatment of Palestinians as apartheid.

Goldman has pushed back on the genocide claims and objected to the use of the word “occupation” when describing Israel’s actions in the West Bank.

Following Poetica’s post, its Facebook page is in the midst of a review war, with some leaving negative reviews accusing the shop of being antisemitic, and others leaving five stars, saying it is “a cafe on the right side of history.”

Poetica’s Instagram page appears to have been taken down, with searches on the platform now showing two accounts calling themselves Poetica with messages against Jewish hate.