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A New York coffee shop said on Instagram that Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., should never return to it because of his pro-Israel views.
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The post came just ahead of Tuesday’s primary elections in New York, where Goldman was defeated by former City Comptroller Brad Lander, NBC News projects, in one of the most notable races in the state.
Both candidates are Jewish, and Goldman had been endorsed by pro-Israel lobbying groups J Street and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, while Lander was backed by progressives like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
In the harshly worded post, Poetica Coffee alluded to Goldman’s stance in support of Israel, which progressives like Lander and human rights groups have strongly criticized over the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, and mentioned genocide and AIPAC.
“Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice?” the post said, accompanied by what appeared to be a security image of Goldman looking at his phone while he was at the register.
“See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between,” the post continued, according to screenshots that circulated on social media and were reported by several news outlets. “Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away.”
The post said the shop had issued Goldman a refund, saying the money was “probably coming from AIPAC anyways.”
“Enjoy your loss on Tuesday,” the post said. “Don’t ever come to Poetica.”
Goldman wrote in response that he was “sorry to see this post,” adding that the barista “could not have been nicer to my 7-yr-old daughter and me” because the shop allowed her to use the bathroom without making a purchase first.
“I made sure to buy a coffee in return for her kindness,” he added. “I hope you at least make sure she gets the tip that she deserved.”
Poetica Coffee and its founder, Parviz Mukhamadkulov, could not be reached for comment. The coffee shop’s Instagram account appears to have been deactivated.
On its website, Poetica Coffee says it goes by the credo that “whoever walks through the door is treated with unconditional dignity.”
Goldman has said he does not take corporate PAC money, including from AIPAC. Donor disclosures, however, show that he does receive money from individuals through the lobbying group.
In an interview with NBC News on Tuesday afternoon, Goldman said he was shocked by the post, “because the interaction in the shop could not have been nicer.”
“I walked in, a woman, who, the only employee there was a woman in a hijab. She was exceptionally nice,” he added.
Goldman said that he “certainly had no problem” if the coffee shop wanted to oppose the Israeli government.
“I do too, and I’m really, really upset and angered by what this Israeli government has been doing in many ways. And I voiced that a lot. But to take out frustration or opposition to what another country’s government is doing on American citizens who are only affiliated to that country based on religion is outright discrimination and prejudice,” Goldman said.
“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,” he told CNN in a separate interview.
The Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, Harmeet Dhillon, said on X that Poetica’s actions were “potentially illegal.” She added that the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division had opened an investigation and “will bring an enforcement action if warranted.”
Asked in the CNN interview whether he believes the Justice Department should open an investigation, Goldman said no.
“I would rather they spend their time and resources investigating antisemitism against people who do not have a platform that I do, who are not elected officials, who do not, in some ways, ask for this,” he said. “I mean, I don’t ask for the antisemitism, but I’m a public figure, and I can accept the criticism.”
Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.
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