Congressman Reacts to Cafe Ban and DOJ Investigation
New York Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman has described as “sad” a Brooklyn coffee shop’s decision to ban him over his pro-Israel stance, a move that has triggered an investigation by the Trump administration’s Justice Department. Goldman, who represents New York’s 10th congressional district, made the remark to CNN after Poetica Coffee in Brooklyn posted a since-deleted social media message barring him following a visit on Sunday.
The cafe later refunded Goldman’s coffee purchase, but the incident prompted Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s civil rights division to announce on X that her office was investigating Poetica Coffee. Dhillon stated, “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.” She added that the division “will bring an enforcement action if warranted.”
Goldman Responds to Investigation
In response, Goldman said he would prefer Dhillon’s office spent its “time and resources investigating antisemitism against people who do not have a platform that I do, who are not elected officials, who do not – in some ways – ask for this.” He added, “I mean, I don’t ask for the antisemitism, but I’m a public figure and I can accept the criticism.”
The controversy began when Poetica Coffee’s now-deleted Instagram post showed Goldman looking at his phone while standing at the cashier. The post read, “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).” The post also referenced Goldman’s Democratic congressional primary against former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, saying, “Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Don’t ever come to Poetica.”
Goldman Describes Positive Interaction
Speaking to CNN on Monday, Goldman, a Levi Strauss heir with a reported net worth of approximately $253 million, described a positive interaction at the cafe. “I had such a nice interaction with the barista in the coffee shop. 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, and 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.” He contrasted this with the post, saying, “It was diametrically opposite to that post that I came upon later … It’s a reflection, I think, of a sad state of affairs that without knowing me, we could have had such a nice interaction.”
Context of Goldman’s Pro-Israel Stance
Goldman attended the Israel Day parade in New York City in May, which was also attended by Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has described himself as a “proud homophobe” and called for the destruction of Gaza and ethnic cleansing of Palestinian villages in the West Bank. Goldman said he was “proud” to have attended and to “celebrate the nation and state of Israel,” which he described as “distinct from its government.”
Brad Lander, Goldman’s primary opponent, has been critical of Israel’s war on Gaza, calling it genocide and stating he will not accept funding from AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group referenced in Poetica’s post.
Poetica Coffee’s Stated Values
On its website, Poetica Coffee describes itself as a place “where the guest is sacred, the books are unbanned, and the door is open to everyone.” It explains, “Mehmon, the Uzbek concept of the sacred guest, means that whoever walks through the door is treated with unconditional dignity. Not as a customer. Not as a transaction. As someone who arrived and deserves to be welcomed.” The site adds, “In practice, it looks like a café where the door doesn’t close on anyone, where tea gets poured before anyone asks who you are.”
