The shop had also celebrated the first anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, introducing drinks with anti-Jewish names, the lawsuit says.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against Jerusalem Coffee House in Oakland, California, and its owner, alleging that the shop had discriminated against Jewish customers, the agency said in a June 9 statement.
“It is illegal, intolerable, and reprehensible for any American business open to the public to refuse to serve Jewish customers,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“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 combating anti-Semitism and discrimination and protecting the civil rights of all Americans.”
Title II prohibits discrimination based on religion, race, national origin, or color in places of public accommodation.
The June 9 lawsuit, filed at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, cited two instances of the coffee house discriminating against Jews.
The first incident involved Michael Radice of Los Angeles, who entered the shop on June 10, 2024, wearing a baseball cap depicting the Star of David and a Hebrew phrase—“The people of Israel live.”
After being allegedly harassed by an employee at the shop for being Jewish, Radice left the place.
Radice visited the shop once more on Aug. 3, this time without any baseball cap or other material that would indicate he was Jewish, according to the lawsuit. However, the employee identified Radice.
“You’re the guy with the hat. You’re the Jew. You’re the Zionist. We don’t want you in our coffee shop,” the employee allegedly said.
Radice left the place and was followed by the employee, another worker, and owner Fathi Abdulrahim Harara, who were yelling “Zionist” and “Jew,” said the complaint.
The second incident involved Jonathan Hirsch and his 5-year-old son. When they visited the shop on Oct. 26, Hirsch was wearing a baseball cap with a Star of David. Harara allegedly told both of them to leave the premises, the DOJ said in the lawsuit.
Hirsch refused to leave. Police arrived at the scene and identified the incident as a hate crime in their report, the lawsuit said. While Hirsch stepped outside together with the officers, Harara allegedly used profanities against him.
A Jewish news outlet had shared the alleged clip of the incident on Instagram on Oct. 31.
The lawsuit also details the coffee house announcing two new drinks on the first anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
One of the drinks was “Iced In Tea Fada,” referring to the Intifada, it said. Intifada refers to an armed uprising of Palestinians against Israel. The second drink, “Sweet Sinwar,” references Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, said the lawsuit. Sinwar is described as masterminding the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
