Mamdani Silent on NYC Coffee Shop Banning Goldman Over Israel
Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani offered only vague criticism of a Brooklyn coffee shop that refused service to Congressman Dan Goldman over his Israel stance and posted inflammatory attacks against him.
According to New York Post, Mamdani was questioned by reporters Tuesday about the actions of Poetica Coffee, which publicly attacked Goldman in a Facebook post that grouped the congressman alongside racists, fascists, and homophobes while declaring it would have denied him service over his stance on Israel.
When pressed on whether the coffee shop’s hostile message represented an acceptable form of political disagreement, Mamdani—a vocal critic of Israel—provided only a lukewarm response. He acknowledged having political disagreements with Goldman regarding his votes and views on Israel before adding that what appeared online went beyond normal political discourse, New York Post reports.
The Park Slope coffee shop ignited a firestorm when it posted a photograph of Goldman visiting the location and revealed it had issued him an unsolicited $9.82 refund. The post told the congressman to never return and suggested his money likely came from AIPAC.
The shop’s Facebook message directly addressed Goldman with inflammatory language, claiming the establishment refuses to serve what it termed racists, fascists, homophobes, and genocide enablers. The post mocked Goldman’s inability to taste what it called genocide juice and expressed regret that staff did not recognize him immediately to turn him away.
Goldman responded by clarifying he had purchased the coffee as a courtesy after the shop allowed his seven-year-old daughter to use the restroom.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the incident and indicated potential enforcement action may follow.
Goldman, who represents New York’s 10th House District covering Lower Manhattan and western Brooklyn, told New York Post Tuesday that the incident left him shocked. He described having a pleasant interaction with the barista, which he found refreshing and representative of what New York City should be about, making the subsequent online attack particularly jarring.
The congressman added that while he does not know what impact the controversy will have on his election, it reflects a troubling normalization of anger, vitriol, and hate. Goldman stressed that this type of hatred targets not only himself or Jews, but requires all people to stand against it.
Goldman faces a challenging Democratic primary against Brad Lander, the former city comptroller and unsuccessful mayoral candidate who has received endorsement from Mamdani. The two candidates have diverged significantly on their positions regarding Israel, with Lander showing greater willingness to criticize the Israeli government.
Some voters heading to polls on Election Day indicated the coffee shop incident reinforced their support for Goldman. A 51-year-old voter who identified himself as Alex stated he had planned to vote for Goldman regardless, but the incident reminded him why, praising how the congressman handled the nasty confrontation.
With information from New York Post
