A Brooklyn coffee house has targeted pro-Israel Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY) by canceling his recent transaction, returning his money, and declaring that the business refuses to accommodate "genocide enablers", reports The New York Post.
Poetica Coffee publicized the unsolicited $9.82 reimbursement through an aggressive Facebook update on Sunday. The digital post featured an image of Goldman inside the Park Slope establishment, where the congressman - who is currently embroiled in a highly competitive Democratic primary race against former city Comptroller Brad Lander - had stopped in.
“Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?" the caption read, invoking Goldman's diplomatic support for Israel and echoing international contentions surrounding the Gaza war.
“See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between. Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away. We issued you a refund - we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways). Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Don’t ever come to Poetica."
The public shaming provoked a swift backlash from local Jewish organizations. Mark Treyger, Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, contended that the store's action represents a clear breach of state anti-discrimination statutes.
“Assigning collective blame to Jews or perceived supporters of Israel over disagreements with Middle East policies is the very definition of antisemitism," Treyger stated, as quoted by The New York Post. “The nature of the social media post leaves serious questions about the business’s practices that warrant a thorough review under City and State human rights law. 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."
Requests for comment regarding potential human rights law violations went unanswered by the New York State Attorney General’s office, Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration, and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
Rory Lancman, a Jewish civil rights attorney and former Queens councilman, condemned the business for utilizing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee as a derogatory trope.
“There’s nothing poetic in Poetica’s flippant use of ‘AIPAC’ as a slur against a Jewish public official, which like ‘Zionist’ or its more noxious shorthand, ‘Zio,’ is nothing more than a coded dog-whistle for ‘Jew,’" Lancman remarked. “Poetica may claim to be a place ‘where the guest is sacred, the books are unbanned, and the door is open to everyone,’ but clearly its guests are merely prey for public abuse, its thirst for banning those with opposing opinions is unslakable, and its doors are closed to Jews who think that the Jewish state shouldn’t just lay down and die."
Goldman broke his silence on the incident by clarifying that his transaction was a gesture of appreciation after employees extended basic courtesy to his young child.
“I am sorry to see this post," Goldman expressed in an official statement. “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."
On-site employees refused to elaborate on the social media fallout on Monday, with one anonymous worker simply stating: “No comment. We stand against genocide."