A coffee shop in New York City is under fire following a social media post declaring that Representative Dan Goldman was unwelcome due to his pro-Israel views. On Sunday, Poetica Coffee shared a Facebook post showing a photo of Goldman in its Brooklyn location. Accompanying the image was what the shop described as a refund for Goldman’s $9.82 purchase. The shop stated it preferred not to receive business from those it dubbed ‘genocide enablers.’
The post addressed Goldman directly, questioning his ability to distinguish efforts at the shop from ‘genocide juice’ and emphasized that Poetica refused service to those it considers racists, fascists, homophobes, or ‘genocide enablers.’ The post also hinted at Goldman’s ongoing primary election struggle against Israel critic and former City Comptroller Brad Lander. Poetica made its stance clear saying, ‘Don’t ever come to Poetica.’
The post has drawn criticism from local Jewish leaders amid an online review bombing. Local leaders condemned the display as antisemitic, stating it promotes hostility against perceived supporters of Israel.
Prior to the incident, Poetica Coffee enjoyed positive feedback, frequently receiving five-star reviews. However, since the Facebook post’s circulation, one-star reviews rapidly increased. As a response, Yelp has suspended reviews for Poetica while confirming they are investigating if these reviews stem from genuine customer experiences. Yelp reiterated its stance against racism and bigotry while stressing that reviews should reflect real customer interactions.
Poetica has also reported receiving death threats via Instagram, although its account has since been deactivated. It remains unclear whether Instagram or Poetica took this action.
Goldman, known for his ‘unabashedly pro-Israel’ position, acknowledged the post with disappointment, noting his pleasant interaction with the barista during his visit. He expressed gratitude for their accommodating his daughter.
Meanwhile, the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, through its CEO Mark Treyger, denounced the act. Treyger stated that targeting Jews or perceived Israel supporters over Middle Eastern policy disagreements exemplified antisemitism, emphasizing that businesses open to the public must not discriminate based on religious or ethnic backgrounds.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, under President Donald Trump, announced its initiative to investigate Poetica Coffee based on potential discrimination concerns. A statement hinted at future legal actions should they find warranted grounds.
Efforts to obtain comments from Poetica via social media remain unresolved. An unnamed staff member told the New York Post, ‘No comment. We stand against genocide.’
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