Oakland Coffee Shop Refused to Serve Jewish Customers; Now Facing Lawsuit

The Trump Justice Department this week sued the Palestinian owner of an Oakland coffee shop for denying service to visibly Jewish customers in a panoply of crass anti-Semitism that shows Hamasniks use “Zionist” as a code word for Jews.

One of the incidents, in which a man wearing a Star of David baseball cap was expelled from the store as the owner ranted and cursed about Zionists, received wide media attention when it occurred last year and was condemned by both Governor Gavin Newsom and then-California congressman Adam Schiff.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. It charges that Jerusalem Coffee House owner Fathi Abdulrahim Harara violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibition against discrimination in public accommodations based on religion.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement about the filing that “It is illegal, intolerable, and reprehensible for any American business open to the public to refuse to serve Jewish customers.  Through our vigorous enforcement of Title II of the Civil Rights Act and other laws prohibiting race and religious discrimination, the Justice Department is committed to combatting anti-Semitism and discrimination and protecting the civil rights of all Americans.”

When the Jerusalem Coffee House opened in October 2023 Harara described it as a “vibrant cultural hub for Palestinian and Islamic thought.”

It certainly is. It certainly is.

According to the lawsuit,  the coffee shop has one drink named for the Hamas October 7 massacre architect Yahya Sinwa and another celebrating the murderous attacks on Israeli civilians known as Intifida.  The “Iced Tea Fada” and the “Sweet Sinwar” were both unveiled on the one year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023.

Additionally, the coffee house exterior is painted with inverted red triangles, which are the Hamas symbol for the violent targeting of Jews.

The lawsuit concerns incidents with two Jewish customers that unfolded last year.

On June 10, 2024, Michael Radice, a Jewish Los Angeles resident who runs a non-profit that helps families of prisoners, went to the coffee shop to determine if it would be a suitable location for a fundraiser for his organization.

Radice was wearing a baseball cap with a Star of David and white Hebrew lettering that said “Am Yisraeli Chai,” which means the People of Israel live.

An employee of the coffee shop sitting outside asked Radice “Are you a Jew?”

Radice said yes. The employee then asked,  “Are you a Zionist?”

According to the complaint, Radice did not respond but the employee started yelling at him that he was responsible for Israel’s military action in Gaza and was “killing children.”

Radice left the location. He returned on August 3 without his Jewish baseball cap. The unhinged employee from June was behind the counter, along with the owner, Fathi Abdulrahim Harara.

The employee immediately said “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.”

Harara asked Radice if he planned to buy anything. Radice said he wanted a cookie.

Then another employee said “get out.”

Radice left the coffee house. But Harara and the other employee followed him outside, yelling “Jew” and “Zionist.”

The second incident involved Jewish Oakland resident Jonathan Hirsch and his five year old son.

They went to the coffee house on October 26, 2024 to use the bathroom after having lunch at a nearby place that had no restrooms. Hirch was wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with the Star of David.

Hirsch ordered and was served a coffee. He then went to the bathroom with his son.

After using the bathroom, they sat down at a table in the back with a chessboard and started playing chess. Suddenly, Harara approached Hirsch.

The complaint says, “He demanded to know whether Mr. Hirsch was a “Zionist” and whether he was wearing a “Jewish star.” After briefly walking away, Harara returned and demanded that Mr. Hirsch and his son leave the premises.”

The lawsuit says Harara “falsely” accused Hirsch of trespassing and causing a “disturbance.”

Harara threatened to call the police. But Hirsch just said he would stay and let them arrive.

When they arrived, Hirsch “spoke to the officers and explained that he was being ordered to leave because he was Jewish and wearing a Star of David on his baseball cap, which he considered a sign of his religion.  Harara responded, “This is a private business, and I reserve the right to refuse not to serve anyone I don’t want to,” and again demanded that Mr. Hirsch leave the premises. He 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 officers did not arrest Mr. Hirsch.”

The officers asked to speak to Hirsch outside. As they were leaving the coffee house, Harara shouted,” Bye bye! Are you a Zionist? Bye bye!”

Harara followed Hirsch outside and exclaimed, “I love Jewish people. I love them. I love them. Fuck Israel. Fuck Zionists. Fuck Zionists.”

He also called Hirsch “a dog” and “a bitch.”  He even told Hirsh’s son “your dad is a bitch.”

The Justice Department complaint asks for an order from the Court “Declaring that Defendants’ discriminatory policies and practices violate Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964” and enjoying them from any further discrimination.

This March, Hirsch filed a lawsuit against Harara in California Superior Court charging violation of the California Unruh Civil Rights Act prohibition against discrimination by businesses.

Hirsch is represented by Brandeis Center lawyer Omer Wiczyk.

Wiczyk  told the California Globe that he believes the Justice Department intervened because the discriminatory conduct was so blatant. “One would think the flagrant anti- semitism and civil rights violation is why they stepped in. [Nearly] the entirety of our client’s interaction with the Jerusalem Coffee House owner and staff was captured on video. Suffice to say, the anti-Semitic behavior that Mr. Hirsch and his son experienced was abhorrent, racist, a violation of fundamental understandings of equality, and flat out illegal.”

Glenn Katon, the lawyer for Harara, did not reply to an emailed request for comment.

But he told the local NBC Bay Area television station that Hirsch is a troublemaker and his client is being persecuted by the Justice Department for his pro-Palestiniean speech.

Katon also denied that Hirsch was ever refused service.

In this lawyerly formulation he seems to be arguing that because Hirsch got the coffee before he was kicked out he was served.

Here is your coffee, now get out, Jew! That does not sound very exculpatory!

“These very much appeared to be staged incidents and the one guy who had the Star of David hat, there has been news coverage — and there’s many videos [out] there of him creating disturbances,” Katon said.”  This [Justice Department lawsuit] is very much in keep[ing] with the Trump administration’s targeting of voices for Palestinian human rights.”And as we have seen time again, people who speak out on Palestinian human rights [get] labeled anti-Semitic.”

Wiczyk responded that it is ridiculous to pretend Harara is being singled out for his speech.  He said Harara is free to espouse whatever views he wants but “what you can’t do is refuse  to serve people solely on the basis of being Jews. He cannot refuse to serve Jewish people.  He kicked our client out of the location because he is a Jew. “