NYC coffee shop bans pro-Israel congressman Goldman, says it doesn't serve 'genocide enablers'

A New York City coffee shop has banned a congressman over his support for Israel, and now the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has launched an investigation into the incident. 

Democrat Rep. Dan Goldman stopped into Poetica Coffee on Sunday so that his daughter could use the bathroom. To thank the establishment for allowing her to do so, he bought a cup of coffee.

Hours after the visit, the coffee shop posted a message on Instagram, saying that they'd refunded his money over his support of Israel, the New York Times wrote. 

“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 post stated, which included a photo of the congressman at the counter. 

"See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between," the now-deleted post continued. "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.”

Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for Civil Rights at the Justice Department, announced in a post on X that her office has opened an investigation into the incident. 

"Federal law prohibits public accommodations such as coffee shops from discriminating against patrons based on their race, religion, or national origin. These actions are not only reprehensible, they’re potentially illegal. The Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation, and will bring an enforcement action if warranted," Dhillon said. 

Goldman is running for reelection in New York's 10th District, and his support for Israel is a divisive issue in the primary, where he faces a challenge from former city Comptroller Brad Lander. 

The congressman replied to Poetica's Instagram post in the comments, explaining how he had purchased coffee to thank the establishment for allowing his seven-year-old daughter to use the restroom. 

“The barista could not have been nicer to my 7-yr-old daughter and me. I made sure to buy a coffee in return for her kindness. I hope you at least make sure that she gets the tip that she deserved," Goldman said. 

Poetica's post was no longer visible on Monday, and the Instagram account appears to have been deactivated.