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Miami Herald
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Jewish customers kicked out of Palestinian coffee shop in CA, federal suit says
Owners of a Palestinian coffee shop in California are being accused of refusing service to Jewish customers on two occasions because of their 'race and religion,' according to a federal lawsuit. The complaint was filed by the Department of Justice on June 9 against Jerusalem Coffee House, a cafe in Oakland that celebrates 'the rich heritage of Palestinian flavors in coffee,' according to their Instagram. 'It is illegal, intolerable, and reprehensible for any American business open to the public to refuse to serve Jewish customers,' Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in a June 9 news release. Glenn Katon, the attorney representing the coffee shop, told McClatchy News they reject the accusations that anyone was discriminated against based on their religion at the cafe. 'This lawsuit is part of the (Trump) administration's effort to silence voices for Palestinian human rights by falsely branding those voices as anti-Semitic,' Katon said in a June 11 email. ' ... We look forward to exposing DOJ's case for what it is: a political stunt to try to intimidate people who oppose Israel's genocide and our government's support of it.' Jewish customers denied service, suit says Jerusalem Coffee House — which held its grand opening in October 2023, according to an Instagram post — is accused of kicking two Jewish customers out on separate occasions, prosecutors said. The first incident happened June 10, 2024 when a man wearing a dark-blue baseball cap with a Star of David and a phrase that translates as 'The people of Israel live' tried to enter and was yelled at and accused of 'being complicit in Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks,' according to the complaint. He left before entering, but then returned in August for a work event and was recognized from the incident in June, according to the complaint. '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,' the man was told by a coffee shop worker, according to the complaint. In October, a different man, who also wore a blue baseball cap with a Star of David on it, and his 5-year-old son were asked to leave the coffee shop, prosecutors said. They had entered the coffee shop to buy a drink and use the restroom after having lunch across the street, according to the complaint. But Katon told McClatchy News he believes that customer 'has a history of inciting conflict' and was asked to leave after harassing customers. The coffee shop owners are also accused of using symbols of violence against Jews in the names of their drinks and a mural painted on an exterior side wall of the building, prosecutors said. According to the complaint, the coffee shop sells drinks called 'Iced In Tea Fada,' referencing 'intifada' — a controversial word seen by some as calling for resistance against the Jewish government and others as violence against Jewish people — and 'sweet sinwar,' referencing Yahya Sinwar, former Hamas leader who is credited with planning the Oct. 7 attacks. ''Ice In Tea Fada,' is a play on the Arabic term 'intifada,' which refers to 'shaking off' the Israeli government's terror campaign against Palestinian people,' Katon said. A wall on the outside of the coffee also 'has or has had' inverted red triangles painted on it, according to prosecutors who view the triangles as 'a symbol of violence against Jews.' The complaint asks the court to declare the coffee shops policies and practices a violation of the Civil Rights Act, ban them from these practices and take affirmative steps against the 'unlawful conduct.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DOJ Sues Coffee Shop for Allegedly Denying Service to Jewish Customers
On Monday, Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a civil rights lawsuit against an Oakland, California, coffee shop that allegedly denied service to two Jewish customers. While the suit focuses on allegations of obvious anti-Semitic discrimination, Bondi herself has highlighted the coffee shop's use of offensive drink names and controversial pro-Palestinian images—both of which are obviously protected speech. The suit claims that two different Jewish men were denied service at the coffee shop, called Jerusalem Coffee House, for wearing hats with the Star of David on them. The first man, Michael Radice, tried to go to the coffee shop in June 2024 to see if it could be a good location for a fundraising event for the organization he worked for. He was wearing a baseball cap with a Star of David on it, and the words "Am Yisraeli Chai," meaning "the people of Israel live." Radice walked up to the shop, and a man sitting at a table in front of the store—an employee, Radice later learned—asked him if he was a Jew and a Zionist and "began shouting numerous accusations at Mr. Radice, including that he was complicit in Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks," according to the suit. Radice returned weeks later for the fundraising event, and "arrived early and entered the coffee shop to purchase a cookie, which he hoped would be seen as a sign of goodwill," according to the lawsuit. "Radice was not wearing the baseball cap he wore on his previous visit, nor anything else that would indicate his religious or political beliefs." The suit claims that the employee from the previous encounter told him, "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." The suit further claimed that Fathi Abdulrahim Harara, the shop's owner, and "two other employees followed Mr. Radice outside, yelling 'Jew' and 'Zionist' at him," even though Radice at no point said anything about his views on Israel. In a second incident, Jonathan Hirsch entered the shop in October 2024 with his five-year-old son. Hirsch was wearing a dark blue baseball cap with a white Star of David on it. The suit claims that, a few minutes after entering the shop, Harara "demanded to know whether Mr. Hirsch was a 'Zionist' and whether he was wearing a 'Jewish star,'" and "demanded that Mr. Hirsch and his son leave the premises." Hirsch refused to leave, and Harara called the police. When police arrived, Harara "repeatedly demanded that the officers remove Mr. Hirsch and arrest him for trespassing, at one point requesting that they physically restrain Mr. Hirsch face-down on the sidewalk in front of his young son." The suit adds that "Harara followed Mr. Hirsch and the officers outside and continued to spew insults and epithets at both Mr. Hirsch and his young son. These included repeatedly calling Mr. Hirsch a 'bitch,' a 'dog,' and a 'piece of shit.'" While the lawsuit alleges incidents of clear discrimination against Jews, it also bizarrely mentions the coffee shop's protected speech. The suit notes that, on the anniversary of the October 7 attacks against Israel, the coffee shop unveiled two new drinks "'Iced In Tea Fada,' an apparent reference to 'intifada,' and 'Sweet Sinwar,'" apparently named after Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The suit also notes that the shop has several inverted red triangles—a controversial pro-Palestinian symbol—painted on an exterior wall. Bondi herself stated that this speech motivated the lawsuit in a recent television interview, discussing the drink names before saying, "We've sued them and we're gonna stop this from happening. And anywhere in the country, if you do this, we're coming after you." While the suit does not claim that these speech acts are themselves illegal discrimination, their inclusion at all in the suit—and Bondi's remarks—will surely have a chilling effect on businesses looking to engage in controversial, though protected, pro-Palestinian speech. While the Justice Department should be going after illegal discrimination, they can achieve that aim without chilling protected speech. The post DOJ Sues Coffee Shop for Allegedly Denying Service to Jewish Customers appeared first on
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Pam Bondi Issues Warning To Businesses As DOJ Sues Over Coffee Shop Menu
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Pam Bondi has issued a warning to American businesses after the Department of Justice announced it was suing a Californian coffee shop over the name of one if its menu items. Jerusalem Coffee House, in Oakland, whose owner is of Palestinian descent, is accused of adding new drinks to the menu on the one-year anniversary of the Hamas Oct. 7 attack, that celebrated Hamas. "One was 'Sweet Sinwar' in honor, of tribute to the leader of Hamas," Bondi said on Fox News on Wednesday. " You can't do that. And so we've sued them and we're gonna stop this from happening. And anywhere in the country, if you do this, we're coming after you." The lawsuit also alleges that the coffee shop denied service to two Jewish customers, something the owner strongly denies. This is breaking news. More updates to follow.
Epoch Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
DOJ Sues California Coffee Shop for Allegedly Refusing to Serve Jews
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against Jerusalem Coffee House in Oakland, California, and its owner, alleging that the shop had discriminated against Jewish customers, the agency said in a June 9 '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 Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
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.
