Dem Congressman, 7-year-old Daughter, Booted From Coffee Shop For Being Pro-Israel
Rep. Dan Goldman was publicly banned from a Brooklyn coffee shop over his support for Israel, just days before the left-wing Democrat was defeated in a primary by a candidate running even farther left.
Poetica Coffee posted a photo of Goldman after he stopped in with his 7-year-old daughter and bought a coffee. The shop said it refunded his purchase and would have denied him service had workers recognized him.
“Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee,” Poetica wrote in the now-deleted post. “Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice?”
The post continued: “See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between.”
The shop added, “Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away,” before telling Goldman: “Don’t ever come to Poetica.”
Goldman, who is Jewish and has defended Israel while criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the attack was jarring because the encounter inside the shop had been pleasant.
“I’m sorry to see this post,” Goldman wrote. “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.”
Speaking to CNN, Goldman said, “I had such a nice interaction with the barista in the coffee shop,” adding that the online attack was “a reflection, I think, of a sad state of affairs.”
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division opened an investigation. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the agency was aware of “denial of service taunts” and warned, “Federal law prohibits public accommodations such as coffee shops from discriminating against patrons based on their race, religion, or national origin.”
Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, called the episode a dangerous litmus test for Jews.
“Turning a cup of coffee into a Jewish identity litmus test is an affront to the law, our values, and every New Yorker who rejects discrimination,” Treyger wrote.
Goldman, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, was fighting for his political life. On Tuesday night, former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, backed by socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani, defeated him in the Democratic primary.
The Associated Press reported that Mamdani’s slate of “fiery progressives” swept establishment-backed Democrats and ousted two sitting members of Congress. Lander has sharply criticized Israel’s war in Gaza, called it genocide and rejected AIPAC support — positions that made Goldman unacceptable to many in New York’s ascendant socialist wing.
Mamdani celebrated the results as a mandate. “A year ago, it was not the end of a political movement. It was the beginning,” he told supporters.