Coffee Shop Faces Backlash Over Political Stance

A coffee shop in New York City is facing significant backlash after publicly declaring that a Democratic congressman was not welcome due to his pro-Israel stance. Poetica Coffee, located in Brooklyn, posted on Facebook identifying Representative Dan Goldman, along with a refund for his purchase. The $9.82 refund underscored the shop’s refusal to serve those they labeled as “genocide enablers.”

The post stated, “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.”

The message indicated that, had staff recognized Goldman sooner, he would have been denied service. It further commented on Goldman’s likely connection to AIPAC, an influential pro-Israel group, and referenced the Democratic primary battle he faces against Israel critic Brad Lander in New York’s 10th Congressional District.

The post has been met with condemnation from Jewish community leaders. Subsequently, Poetica Coffee experienced a surge of negative reviews, prompting platforms like Yelp to temporarily halt new reviews. Yelp stated it needed time to discern whether these reviews were genuine, asserting that all reviews should represent firsthand consumer experiences, rejecting racism, discrimination, or bigotry.

In addition to negative reviews, Poetica’s Instagram revealed alleged death threats, leading to the account’s deactivation. The cause of the deactivation, whether by Instagram or the business itself, remains unclear.

Goldman, who describes himself as “unabashedly pro-Israel,” responded to Poetica’s post, expressing disappointment. He mentioned the kindness shown by a barista to him and his daughter, hoping the barista received a deserved tip.

Jewish Community Relations Council of New York CEO Mark Treyger commented on the situation, labeling the post as antisemitic for assigning collective blame to Jews or perceived Israel supporters due to disagreements with Middle East policies.

In response to the incident, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division under President Trump’s administration announced an investigation into Poetica Coffee, with potential enforcement actions.

Newsweek attempted to contact Poetica for further comments. A staff member in-store declined, stating, “No comment. We stand against genocide.”