DOJ investigating NYC coffee shop over hostile social post about pro-Israel politician
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that an investigation has been launched into an incident New York City Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) blasted the coffee shop in a social media post, saying it should not serve him and that he should never return because of his support for Israel.
Deputy Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon He said the Justice Department has opened an investigation into Poetica Coffee Shop in Brooklyn.
Dhillon said the department was aware of the “denial of service taunts” directed at Goldman and that federal law prohibits discrimination against customers based on race, religion or national origin in places of public accommodation, including cafes. Dhillon said the alleged denial of service could violate federal anti-discrimination law and enforcement action is possible.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Poetica Brown He said Goldman was refunded after learning that Goldman had visited the place with his young daughter. The store added that Goldman would have been turned away if staff had recognized him at the time.
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Rep. Dan Goldman, D, NY, was criticized by Poetica, a left-leaning coffee shop in Brooklyn, which chastised him for his support for Israel.
(Fox News)
“Hello Congressman Dan Goldman, we see you stopped by our store today for coffee. Do you see that it doesn’t taste like holocaust water? Or are you still having trouble telling the difference?” The post referenced Goldman’s support for Israel and accusations that the Jewish state committed genocide against Palestinians during the war in Gaza.
The post continued: “Look, at Poetica we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, enablers of genocide, or anyone in between.” “Unfortunately, we didn’t recognize you right away, otherwise we would have turned you away. We refunded you your money; we don’t need your money (it’s from AIPAC anyway). Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Never come to Poetica.”
A cafe in Brooklyn, New York, Rep. Dan Goldman refunded DY’s purchase over the weekend for its support of Israel, saying the company did not serve “enabling enablers of genocide.”
Goldman said in a statement on social media that he was disappointed by the store’s words.
“I was sorry to see this article,” he said. “The barista couldn’t have been nicer to my 7-year-old daughter and me; she let her use the restroom even though we hadn’t purchased anything. I made sure to get a coffee in return for her kindness. I hope you’ll at least make sure she gets the tip she deserves.”
In response, the store said it was the barista’s idea to refund Goldman’s purchase. The poster also noted that former city Treasurer Brad Lander will vote against Goldman, who faces the Democratic primary.
Fox News Digital contacted Goldman and the cafe, as well as the offices of New York State Attorney General Letitia James and Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
“No comment. We are against genocide,” a staff member said. New York Post.
The store’s social media post was quickly criticized online.
CEO Mark Treyger Jewish Community The New York Relations Council said the incident should be investigated under city and state civil rights laws.
Poetica Coffee in Brooklyn, New York, criticized New York Representative Dan Goldman for his support of Israel.
“Turning a cup of coffee into something Jewish identity The litmus test is an affront to the law, to our values, and to every New Yorker who rejects discrimination,” he wrote to
The incident appears to contradict the opening statement on Poetica Coffee’s website by owner Parviz Mukhamadkulov, an Uzbek immigrant who opened his first branch in 2020.
“In practice, it resembles a cafe where the door is not closed to anyone and the tea is poured without anyone asking who it is,” the website says. “The guest is sacred because the act of welcoming is the way a community keeps itself intact.”
Representative Dan Goldman, DY, stands outside the Delaney Hall Detention Center on May 28, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey.
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The store also claims on its website that “everyone who walks through the door is treated with unconditional dignity.”
“Not as a customer. Not as a transaction. As someone who comes and deserves to be welcomed,” the site reads.
Original article source: DOJ investigating New York cafe over hostile social posts about pro-Israel politician
