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Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oakland coffee house at center of Star of David hat controversy sued by DOJ
(KRON) — An Oakland coffee house that refused to serve a customer wearing a hat emblazoned with a Star of David last year is being sued by the United States Department of Justice. On Monday, the DOJ announced it had filed a lawsuit against Fathi Abdulrahim Harara and Native Grounds LLC, the owners of the Jerusalem Coffee House on Telegraph Avenue. The lawsuit, according to the DOJ, alleges the coffee house discriminated against Jewish customers, a violation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 'which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in places of public accommodation.' 'It is illegal, intolerable, and reprehensible for any American business open to the public to refuse to serve Jewish customers,' said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. 'Through our vigorous enforcement of Title II of the Civil Rights Act and other laws prohibiting race and religious discrimination, the Justice Department is committed to combatting anti-Semitism and discrimination and protecting the civil rights of all Americans.' Dozens of arrests after San Francisco protest turns violent Sunday The lawsuit alleges that on two occasions, Harara ordered Jewish customers, who were identified because they were wearing Star of David baseball caps, to leave the business. During one incident, the suit alleges, a Jerusalem Coffee Huse employee told a customer, 'You're the guy with the hat. You're the Jew. You're the Zionist. We don't want you in our coffee shop. Get out.' In another incident cited by the lawsuit, a customer wearing a Star of David hat who was with his 5-year-old son was told to leave repeatedly by Harara, who accused him of supporting 'genocide' and accused of 'trespassing.' That particular incident, which was partially caught on video, was condemned by local leaders including Rep. Ro Khanna and recently elected Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, further alleges that on the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks, the coffee house unveiled two new drinks: 'Iced In Tea Fada,' and 'Sweet Sinwar,' a reference to former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The coffee shop's interior walls, according to the lawsuit, displayed inverted red triangles, 'a symbol of violence against Jews that has been spraypainted on Jewish homes and synagogues in anti-Semitic attacks.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Man kicked out of Oakland coffeehouse for wearing Star of David hat files lawsuit
(KRON) — A man appears to have been asked to leave a Palestinian-owned coffeehouse in Oakland last year for wearing a Star of David hat has filed a lawsuit against the cafe owner. In an incident that was partially caught on video, Jonathan Hirsch and his son were asked to leave Jerusalem Coffee House on Telegraph Avenue. The incident occurred on Oct. 26 last year. Hirsch, according to the lawsuit, went to the coffeehouse so his son could use the restroom and ordered a latte for himself. In the video, as Hirsch and his son sat playing chess, the owner of the coffee shop, identified in the suit as Abdulrahim Harara, angrily tells Hirsch he needs to leave. At one point in the video, Harara can be heard telling Hirsch he is wearing a 'violent hat.' 'This man cannot ask me to leave because of my hat,' Hirsch replies. 'Yeah, I can, it's my business,' the Harara responds. Customers pepper sprayed in Orinda smash-and-grab The owner goes on to ask Hirsch if he's a 'Zionist' and threatens to call the police. Hirsh continues to refuse to leave and threatens the owner with a lawsuit. Eventually, police arrive and ask Hirsh to step outside. Harara, speaking into Hirsch's camera says, 'he loves Jewish people' before cursing Israel and 'Zionists.' The incident was amplified by the Jewish Community Relations Council as an incident of anti-Semitism. Several local officials, including Rep. Ro Khanna, former Rep. Barbara Lee and Supervisor Matt Dorsey condemned the incident. On Monday, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law announced it had filed a suit against the coffeehouse owner on behalf of Hirsch and his son. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, Alameda County, the 'defendants' denial of service violates California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, among other laws.' 'The anti-Semitism that Mr. Hirsch and his son experienced is utterly shocking, as was the defendants' ignorance of basic morality and the law,' said Brandeis Center Senior Counsel Omer Wiczyk, who is representing Hirsch. 'We look forward to educating the defendants — and anyone that shares their distorted views — in a court of law.' The incident at the cafe, however, was apparently not the first time Hirsch has come into conflict in an incident that was caught on camera. According to a report in the San Francisco Standard, there were at least three other incidents in the year leading up to the coffeehouse incident when Hirsh engaged with loud public arguments with strangers, including at least one involving issues related to Israel and Palestine. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
