New York lawmaker calls cafe ban over pro-Israel views 'sad'; Justice Dept. investigates

New York Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman described as "sad" a situation where a Brooklyn coffee shop banned him because of his pro-Israel views. The incident has drawn the attention of the Trump administration's Justice Department, which has launched an investigation into the cafe.

“

I mean, I don’t ask for the antisemitism, but I’m a public figure and I can accept the criticism.

Goldman, who represents New York's 10th congressional district, shared his "sad" sentiment with CNN after Poetica Coffee in Brooklyn posted a now-deleted social media message banning him following a visit on Sunday. The cafe later refunded his coffee purchase but not before the U.S. Justice Department's civil rights division announced an investigation via X.

Goldman responded by suggesting the department should prioritize investigating antisemitism against less public individuals. He noted that as a public figure, he can withstand criticism, though he does not invite it. The controversy ignited after Poetica Coffee's Instagram post, which included a since-deleted message questioning if Goldman could differentiate coffee from "genocide juice" and stating the cafe does not serve "genocide enablers."

“

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? 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 post also referenced Goldman's Democratic congressional primary opponent, Brad Lander, who has been critical of Israel's actions in Gaza. Goldman, who is reportedly worth approximately $253 million, recounted a positive interaction with a barista at the shop, highlighting the contrast with the cafe's public statement. He called the situation a "sad state of affairs" where such a negative reaction could occur after a pleasant encounter.

“

I had such a nice interaction with the barista in the coffee shop. She was wearing a hijab, I didn’t know her, but she couldn’t have been nicer and allowed my daughter to go use the bathroom, and I honestly was so grateful for her kindness that I felt like I should buy a coffee, and so I did, and I gave her a large tip. It was diametrically opposite to that post that I came upon later … It’s a reflection, I think, of a sad state of affairs that without knowing me, we could have had such a nice interaction.