US gov’t investigates New York coffee chain over ban on pro-Israel lawmaker

The United States Department of Justice has opened a civil rights probe into a New York coffee chain that announced it would not serve a Democratic lawmaker over his support for Israel. Harmeet K. Dhillon, the top civil rights prosecutor at the Justice Department, said on Monday that she had ordered the investigation after Poetica Coffee, a small Uzbek-inspired cafe chain, declared on social media that US House Representative Dan Goldman was not welcome at its stores. Recommended Stories list of 4 items end of list “These actions are not only reprehensible, they’re potentially illegal,” Dhillon, an appointee of US President Donald Trump, said in a post on X. “The Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation, and will bring an enforcement action if warranted.” Poetica Coffee, which has seven branches in Brooklyn and the East Village, made the comments on Sunday after Goldman had visited one of its cafes with his daughter. “We see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee,” Poetica Coffee said in Facebook and Instagram posts that were accompanied by a picture of Goldman at its Lorimer Street, Brooklyn branch. “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,” Poetica Coffee continued. …