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NEW YORK — Israeli flags and accusations of antisemitism were flying outside a Brooklyn coffee shop on Wednesday morning as protesters slammed the café owners for banning a Jewish congressman over his pro-Israel beliefs.
“We’re here today to show that we’re not going anywhere. We’re standing proud in our identity. We’re proud to be Jewish. And we’re not going to be intimidated by businesses who believe that there is a right or wrong view that Jews should hold on Israel,” Jayne Zirkle, a protest organizer who serves as Director of Communications and Outreach for The Lawfare Project, told Fox News Digital.
Poetica Coffee, which has several locations in New York City, recently became a flashpoint after it viciously blasted Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., on social media. The Jewish congressman said that he went into the cafe because his daughter had to use the restroom and that he bought a coffee in thanks for the establishment’s hospitality, noting the barista had been especially kind.
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Goldman, who describes himself as a liberal Zionist according to the New York Times, has been critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has also objected to the idea that Israel committed a “genocide” in Gaza.
On its now-deleted Instagram page, Poetica Coffee posted a photo of Goldman in the café and said that they had refunded the congressman.
“Hey @repdangoldman, 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?” the cafe wrote in its post.
“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,” the post read.
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Goldman responded, saying that his experience at the café was pleasant, and he hoped the barista who helped him would still receive her tip, despite the shop refunding his purchase.
“I’m sorry to see this post. The barista could not have been nicer to my 7-year-old daughter and me — allowing her to use the bathroom even though we had not purchased anything. I made sure to buy a coffee in return for her kindness. I hope you at least make sure she gets the tip that she deserved,” Goldman wrote in response.
The controversy unfolded as Goldman was fighting to keep his House seat. On Tuesday, he lost his Democratic primary race in a landslide to former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Goldman told CNN’s Laura Coates that the post was starkly different from his experience at Poetica Coffee. He also noted the absurdity of the café claiming that he supported genocide.
“And the idea of accusing someone who you don’t know of supporting a genocide, I mean, it’s crazy. It’s crazy,” he told Coates. “Now, I may disagree as to whether or not there’s a genocide. But, come on, we’re better than this. And we need to be better than this.”
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Poetica Coffee’s post quickly drew outrage, and even the attention of the Justice Department’s Office for Civil Rights. The DOJ announced that it opened an investigation into the coffee shop over alleged “denial of service taunts” aimed at Goldman. However, the congressman has said that he did not think the incident warranted an investigation.
On Wednesday, protesters gathered on either side of Lorimer Street, some with Israeli and American flags and others with Palestinian flags. The pro-Israel protesters held their demonstration next to Poetica Coffee, hurling accusations of antisemitism as anti-Israel protesters shouted slogans back.
Zirkle rejected the idea that the shop’s decision to ban Goldman had anything to do with politics.
“This person didn’t walk in with an Israeli flag looking for foreign policy debate. He walked in to buy a cup of coffee,” she said.
Another protester argued that attempts to separate antisemitism and anti-Zionism are often futile.
“It’s horrible because they say it’s anti-Zionism, but anti-Zionism could [equate to] antisemitism because most Jewish people are Zionists,” the protester said.
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Ramon Maislen, a Jewish Brooklyn resident who recently helped lead a discrimination complaint alleging antisemitic harassment at the Park Slope Food Coop, said that he sees the incident at Poetica Coffeee as reflective of a broader trend he has seen throughout the borough.
“I think that what we have right now, especially in Brooklyn and some progressive places, is that people are willing, or the anti-Zionists are willing to accept Jews as long as they claim that they’re anti-Zionists or that they are against Israel in some capacity,” Maislen told Fox News Digital.
“I’ve talked to people and Park Slope and Williamsburg and other places in Brooklyn that fully support Hamas,” he later added.
Many of the protesters criticizing Poetica Coffee’s treatment of Goldman cited the coffee shop’s website where the owners painted the establishment as a space where all are welcome regardless of their beliefs.
The coffee shop’s website states it’s a place where “the door doesn’t close on anyone, where tea gets poured before anyone asks who you are.” Critics pointed out that the language contradicts the coffee shop’s treatment of Goldman.
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For Zirkle, it comes down to whether patrons of businesses should have to pass an ideological test before making a purchase.
“There shouldn’t be a political test that anybody should have to pass to be treated with dignity,” she said.
Goldman’s office and Poetica Coffee did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.