A popular cafe in Brooklyn ejected Jewish, pro-Israel Congressman Dan Goldman and refunded the $9.82 he had paid for a coffee, claiming that the establishment “does not serve genocide enablers.”
In a post published on the Facebook page of Cafe Poeticà alongside a photograph of Goldman, the cafe wrote: “Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?” Management added that it does not serve racists, fascists or homophobes, and said that had Goldman been recognized, he would have been denied entry immediately.
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A post published on the Facebook page of Cafe Poeticà alongside a photograph of Goldman
(Photo: From Facebook)
“New Yorkers’ hard-earned tax dollars should not be going to fund forever wars and human rights violations—whether by foreign leaders or U.S presidents,” he said.
The incident occurred on the eve of the Democratic primary in New York’s 10th Congressional District, where Goldman is facing former city comptroller Brad Lander. Lander is backed by mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and has accused Israel of genocide and apartheid. In their post, the cafe’s owners also attacked Goldman, claiming that his funding comes from AIPAC.
Goldman, who met his Israeli wife at a fundraising event organized by a Jewish advocacy group, responded to the cafe’s post by saying he was saddened by the incident.
“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.”
Employees at the cafe said they “stand against genocide.”
Goldman, 49, an heir to the Levi Strauss jeans fortune who gained national prominence as lead counsel during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment proceedings, is facing Lander, 56, who is widely viewed as a close political ally of Mamdani.
As soon as Goldman launched his reelection campaign, Lander opened with a personal attack, describing him as “Heir to the Levis Strauss fortune, Dan Goldman literally chummed it up with Don Jr. on vacation in the Bahamas, praising Trump's Israel policy.”
Goldman responded: “If that's what he's running on, I hope he can find something a little more meaningful.”
A self-described Jew and Zionist, Goldman has refused to join calls to freeze U.S. military aid to Israel.
Lander, meanwhile, has cultivated a partnership with Mamdani in an effort to build a progressive political bloc within the Democratic left. Lander describes himself as a liberal Zionist but has participated in anti-Israel protests.
“New Yorkers’ hard-earned tax dollars should not be going to fund forever wars and human rights violations—whether by foreign leaders or U.S. presidents,” he said.
Pollsters have identified Lander as the favorite to win, citing the consolidation of left-wing support behind him as well as endorsements from prominent figures including Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Following publicity surrounding the incident, the cafe reportedly received threats and subsequently deleted its Instagram account.