Published on 6/23/2026
The US Department of Justice opened an investigation into a small coffee shop chain in New York, following a post on the Internet in which it stated that it would have refused entry to US Representative Dan Goldman, known for his support of Israel, if it had recognized him during his visit to one of its branches over the weekend.
US Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said on the X platform, “The department’s civil rights sector has opened an investigation, and will take executive action if necessary.”
She stressed that “Federal law prohibits public places such as cafes from discriminating against customers on the basis of race, religion, or national origin.”
The New York Times reported that Goldman – a member of the House of Representatives from the Democratic Party – visited the Bottica Coffee café in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, outside his constituency, accompanied by his 7-year-old daughter last Sunday.
“We do not serve racists.”
The decision issued by the Ministry of Justice to open an investigation into the café chain came after a post on Instagram that said, “We see that you stopped by our store today to have coffee.”
“We do not serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocidal enablers, or anyone like that,” she added. “It is unfortunate that we did not recognize you immediately, otherwise we would have refused you entry. Never come to Botica.”
The cafe’s post was no longer visible on Monday, and it appears that the account it was posted from has been disabled.
Goldman said he went there so his daughter could use the bathroom, and that he bought a cup of coffee to thank the staff for letting her do so.
Goldman has the support of New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and will run in the primary elections today, June 23, against former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is supported by Mayor Zahran Mamdani.
The two competing candidates – Lander and Goldman – are Jewish.
A number of human rights experts, researchers, and a United Nations commission of inquiry described the Israeli attack on Gaza as genocide. The attack lasted more than two years, resulted in the death of more than 72,000 and the injury of about 172,000, and caused severe famine, displacement, and internal displacement of all residents of the Strip.
