Oakland Palestinian cafe responds to antisemitism lawsuit from Trump administration
Jerusalem Coffee House owner Abdulrahim Harara decried the lawsuit, as well as another related suit, at a Wednesday morning press conference.
'These lawsuits and campaigns to silence and destroy us are an effort to fracture our community. They will not succeed,' he said before a crowd of media and supporters at a meeting space in the same building as his cafe. He did not answer questions.
A Palestinian coffee shop and events space, Jerusalem Coffee House has been an outspoken voice against Israel's military attacks on Palestinian territories. The business opened in late 2023, serving tahini-date lattes and pastries infused with Arab flavors like za'atar and rose water. Last year, it received criticism for releasing a new menu on October 7 that included a juice named 'Sweet Sinwar.' Owners said the name was not related to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and that the timing was coincidental.
The DOJ lawsuit was filed in June by Attorney General Pamela Bondi in the Northern District of California. It cited two incidents of alleged antisemitism, as well as the shop's iconography and drinks like the Sweet Sinwar. (Under the Civil Rights Act, it's illegal to refuse service to customers on the basis of race or religion.)
The DOJ lawsuit states the first episode occurred around June 10, 2024, when Michael Radice of Los Angeles was asked by a man identified as an employee of the coffee shop if he was 'a Jew' and 'a Zionist,' and accused him of being complicit in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip. The lawsuit states Radice was wearing a hat with a blue Star of David and a message meaning 'the people of Israel live' during the interaction. Weeks later, Radice allegedly returned to purchase a cookie and was told to leave.
On Oct. 26, Oakland resident Jonathan Hirsch ordered a coffee at the shop and sat down to play chess with his son, according to the suit. The lawsuit alleges that owner Harara asked Hirsch, who was wearing a ballcap with the Star of David, if he was a Zionist before ordering him and his son to leave. Hirsch filmed part of the interaction which was shared on social media. A police report states the confrontation 'is being documented as a hate incident.'
Hirsch also has a history of making confrontational videos and courting controversy.
The Brandeis Center, a civil rights group advocating for the rights of Jewish people, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Hirsch against Jerusalem Coffee House in March, seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages. The case is ongoing.
Glenn Katon, the attorney representing Harara, told the Chronicle that the government's lawsuit was a political stunt with no real merit. He said the business is being attacked for being a voice for Palestinian human rights under the guise of antisemitism.
'It is a cut-and-paste job of the two bogus private lawsuits,' Katon said. 'DOJ appears to have done no independent investigation.'
A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the suit, which is ongoing. That suit doesn't seek monetary damages. Under the part of the Civil Rights Act it's invoking, it can't. Instead, the department seeks an injunction, which would amount to a court order barring the shop from its alleged discrimination.
'These are two kind of bizarre incidents that we believe are not born out of antisemitism at all, but whatever they are, they are not the type of institutional discrimination that these laws were designed to address,' the attorney said.
But the cost of the lawsuits could be a blow, Katon said. Even if there is no punitive action from the DOJ, the cost of the lawsuits can affect the business, which is fundraising to offset those costs. It had raised more than $18,000 of a $100,000 goal as of Wednesday.
Speakers standing with Harara included members of activist groups Jewish Voice for Peace, a group advocating for an end to Israeli attacks on Palestine, and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. They condemned Israel's war in Gaza: Gaza's Health Ministry said this week that more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed.
'When the government tries to silence Palestinian voices we stand with them,' said Rabbi Cat Zavis of Jewish Voice for Peace.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
A third child in the Biscayne Bay barge-sailboat crash has died, yacht club says
A third child has died as a result of Monday's barge-sailboat collision in Biscayne Bay, the Miami Yacht Club announced Sunday. 'The Miami Yacht Club (MYC) and the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation (YSF) are deeply heartbroken to share that a third young sailor has tragically passed away as a result of the incident that occurred on the water earlier this week,' the Yacht Club email said. 'This devastating news comes after two young sailors lost their lives in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. 'Now, with the passing of a third sailor, the entire sailing community is shattered by grief.' READ MORE: 'Not some bougie yacht club.' Miami Yacht Club has mission of teaching kids to sail Herald sources confirm that Arielle Mazi Buchman, 10, died after spending days in Jackson Memorial Hospital. Several South American media outlets reported her death Thursday via social media. Ari's levaya or funeral is Sunday afternoon, the afternoon of Tisha B'av, which the American Jewish World Service states is 'the saddest day on the Jewish calendar.' It's a day of mourning the destruction of the first two temples in Jerusalem and Jewish deaths from religious or ethnic hate over the last 2,000 years. Among Ari's local relatives is Bal Harbour Mayor Gabriel Groisman. READ MORE: 'Heartbroken beyond words.' Family of girl killed in sailboat crash speaks out Ari's death follows the Monday deaths of 7-year-old Mila Yankelevich and 13-year-old Erin Victoria Ko Han shortly after the crash of a barge into a sailboat between Hibiscus Island and Monument Island around 11:30 a.m. READ MORE: 'Indelible mark.' Chilean school identifies girl killed in Miami sailboat crash Of the five summer sailing campers on the sailboat, three have died; one has been released from Jackson, according to the U.S. Coast Guard; and one was treated for injuries on the scene along with the 19-year-old counselor. The U.S. Coast Guard, the agency leading the investigation, tested the tugboat captain for impairment, and found no impairment. 'Our hearts are broken for these families,' The Miami Yacht Club said. 'There are no words that can ease this pain, but we stand in full solidarity with the families, counselors, and every member of the YSF during this unthinkable nightmare.'
Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Israeli minister visits contentious holy site as 27 aid-seekers are reported killed in Gaza
DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip — A far-right Israeli minister visited and prayed at Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site on Sunday, triggering regional condemnation and fears that the provocative move could further escalate tensions with Palestinians. The visit came as hospitals in Gaza reported that 27 more Palestinians seeking food aid were killed by Israeli fire. With Israel already facing global criticism over famine-like conditions in the besieged Gaza Strip, the visit by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the hillside compound threatened to further set back efforts by international mediators to halt Israel's nearly two-year military offensive in the territory. The area, which Jews call the Temple Mount, is the holiest site in Judaism and was home to the ancient biblical temples. Muslims call the site the Noble Sanctuary, and today it is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. Visits are considered a provocation across the Muslim world and openly praying violates a long-standing protocol at the combustible site. Under that protocol, Jews have been allowed to tour the site but are barred from praying, with Israeli police and troops providing security. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said after Ben-Gvir's visit that Israel would not change the norms governing the holy site. Ben-Gvir made the stop after Hamas' release of videos showing two emaciated Israeli hostages. The videos caused an uproar in Israel and raised pressure on the government to reach a deal to bring home from Gaza the remaining hostages who were captured on Oct. 7, 2023, in the attack that triggered the war. During his visit to the hilltop compound, Ben-Gvir called for Israel to annex the Gaza Strip and encourage Palestinians to leave, reviving rhetoric that has complicated negotiations to end the war. He raged against a video that Hamas released Saturday of 24-year-old hostage Evyatar David showing him skeletal and hollow-eyed in a dimly lit Gaza tunnel. He called it an attempt to pressure Israel. Ben-Gvir's previous visits to the site have been explosive and prompted threats from Palestinian militant groups. Clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian demonstrators in and around the site fueled an 11-day war with Hamas in 2021. His Sunday visit was swiftly condemned as an incitement by Palestinian leaders as well as Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Sufyan Qudah, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in neighboring Jordan, which serves as the custodian of the Al Aqsa Mosque, condemned what he called 'provocative incursions by the extremist minister' and implored Israel to prevent escalation. Israel has been jolted in recent days by videos of hostages with their faces hollow, ribs protruding and bodies ravaged by hunger. The videos — released by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the second-largest militant group in Gaza — triggered outrage across the political spectrum in Israel. Tens of thousands rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday urging Israel and the United States to urgently pursue their release after suspending ceasefire talks. Right-wing politicians who have opposed deals with Hamas said the videos reinforced their conviction that the militant group must be obliterated once and for all. 'From here we need to bring a message and ensure that from today, we conquer all of the Gaza Strip, declare sovereignty over all of the Gaza Strip, take out every Hamas member and encourage voluntary emigration,' Ben-Gvir said on a video posted on social media after his visit to the holy site. Palestinians reported more deadly violence at aid sites and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said a staff member had been killed when Israeli forces shelled its office with artillery. With international anger growing at the situation in Gaza, around 90,000 protesters in Australia marched across the Sydney Harbor Bridge, turning the city landmark into a symbol of opposition to Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Hospital officials said Israeli forces killed at least 27 Palestinians seeking food on Sunday in the besieged territory, where witnesses described facing gunfire as hungry crowds surged toward aid sites and the malnutrition-related death toll also rose. Desperation has gripped the Palestinian territory of more than 2 million, which experts warn is facing 'a worst-case scenario of famine' because of Israel's blockade and nearly two-year offensive. Yousef Abed, among the people en route to a distribution point, described coming under indiscriminate fire, seeing at least three people bleeding on the ground. 'I couldn't stop and help them because of the bullets,' he said. Two hospitals in southern and central Gaza reported receiving bodies from routes leading to U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid sites, including 11 killed in the Teina area en route to a distribution point in Khan Younis. Three Palestinian eyewitnesses, including one traveling through Teina, told the Associated Press that shootings occurred on the routes, which are in military zones secured by Israeli forces. They said they saw soldiers open fire on hungry crowds advancing toward troops. Eyewitnesses seeking food have reported similar gunfire attacks in recent days near aid distribution sites, leaving dozens of Palestinians dead. The United Nations reported that 859 people were killed near GHF sites from May 27 to July 31 and that hundreds more have been slain along the routes of U.N.-led food convoys. GHF says its armed contractors have used only pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Israel's military has said it fires only warning shots as well. Both claimed the death tolls have been exaggerated. Israel's military did not immediately respond to questions about Sunday's reported fatalities at the sites but said it was reviewing the Red Crescent's report. GHF's media office said there was no gunfire 'near or at our sites.' Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry said six more Palestinian adults died of malnutrition-related causes over the past 24 hours. It said Sunday's casualties brought the death toll among Palestinian adults to 82 over the five weeks since the ministry started counting deaths among adults in late June. Malnutrition-related deaths are not included in the ministry's count of war casualties. Ninety-three children have died of causes related to malnutrition since the war in Gaza started in 2023, the ministry said. Israel has taken a series of steps to increase the flow of food into Gaza over the last week, but U.N. and relief groups say conditions have not improved. The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, and abducting 251. The militant group is still holding 50 captives, about 20 of whom are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed more than 60,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but says most of the dead are women and children, is staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties. Israel has disputed its figures, but hasn't provided its own account of casualties. Shurafa, Metz and Magdy write for the Associated Press and reported from Deir al Balah, Jerusalem and Cairo, respectively.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
US envoy tells Israeli hostage families he's working on plan to end Gaza War
Trump has made ending the conflict a major priority of his administration, though negotiations have faltered. JERUSALEM, Aug 2 – President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy told families of hostages being held by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Aug. 2 that he was working with the Israeli government on a plan that would effectively end the war in Gaza. Trump has made ending the conflict a major priority of his administration, though negotiations have faltered. Steve Witkoff is visiting Israel as its government faces mounting pressure over the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the enclave. In a recording of the meeting, reviewed by Reuters, Witkoff is heard saying: "We have a very, very good plan that we're working on collectively with the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu ... for the reconstruction of Gaza. That effectively means the end of the war." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his remarks. Witkoff also said that Hamas was prepared to disarm to end the war, though the group has repeatedly said it will not lay down its weapons. In response, Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since 2007 but has been militarily battered by Israel in the war, said it would not relinquish "armed resistance" unless an "independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital" was established. Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza war and a deal for the release of half the hostages ended last week in deadlock. On Aug. 2, Hamas released its second video in two days of Israeli hostage Evyatar David. In it, David, skeletally thin, is shown digging a hole, which, he says in the video, is for his own grave. "They are on the absolute brink of death," David's brother Ilay said at a rally in support of the hostages in Tel Aviv, where thousands gathered holding posters of those in captivity and chanted for their immediate release. "In the current unimaginable condition, they may have only days left to live." Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar said the "world cannot remain silent in the face of the difficult images that are the result of deliberate sadistic abuse of the hostages, which also includes starvation." Witkoff, who arrived in Israel with Benjamin Netanyahu's government facing a global outcry over the devastation in Gaza and the starvation growing among its 2.2 million people, met the prime minister on Thursday. Afterwards, a senior Israeli official said an understanding between Israel and Washington was emerging that there was a need to move from a plan to release some of the hostages to a plan to release all the hostages, disarm Hamas and demilitarise the Gaza Strip, echoing Israel's key demands for ending the war. Gaza starvation amid ceasefire talks On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating ceasefire efforts, endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As part of it, they said Hamas must hand over its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. The crisis in Gaza has also prompted a string of Western powers to announce they may recognize a Palestinian state. On Friday, Witkoff visited a U.S.-backed aid operation in southern Gaza, which the United Nations has partly blamed for deadly conditions in the enclave, saying he sought to get food and other aid to people there. Dozens have died of malnutrition in recent weeks after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March to May, according to Gaza's health ministry. It said on Saturday that it had recorded seven more fatalities, including a child, since Friday. Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza and says it is taking steps for more aid to reach its population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. U.N. agencies have said that airdrops of food are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and quickly ease access to it. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
