NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — In the wake of an Instagram post by a Brooklyn coffee shop Rep. Dan Goldman went to over the weekend that denounced his patronage and labeled him a "genocide enabler," the Jewish congressman is calling for more unity and to lower the temperature on the current "divisive" political culture.
"It was so diametrically opposite to the feeling I had when I was in there," Goldman said of reading the post. "I think it's a reflection of how far down our politics has gone, how divisive things are and how little people are willing to engage in meaningful conversation."
The exchange began on Sunday when Goldman entered the Poetica Coffee location in Williamsburg because his 7-year-old daughter had to use the bathroom. He said that the one employee in the store, a woman wearing a hijab, "couldn't have been nicer" and allowed the young girl to forego store policy and use the facilities without a purchase. Goldman said that he soon returned to buy something as a "thank you" for her kindness, and said he left a large tip.
The employee apparently did not know who Goldman was on-sight, leading the Poetica Coffee team to search its security cameras and post a photo of the congressman on their Instagram. In the caption of the now-deleted post, which addresses him directly, someone wrote it was "too bad we didn't recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away."
"We don't serve racists, fascists, genocide enablers, or anyone inbetween," the caption added. The store said that it has refunded Goldman's purchase.
The company has since deactivated its Instagram account. 1010 WINS reached out to Poetica Coffee for comment.
"There's obviously nothing wrong with opposing the Israeli government—and I do, I do on a lot of different things, and I've been very vocal about it," Goldman told 1010 WINS. "But to hold American Jews responsible for what the Israeli government does is antisemitism, it is just outright antisemitism and it is unacceptable. And that is happening far too much, and so we need to, as a society, get control over that and recognize that that's unacceptable, it's hate."
Goldman has been criticized for his defense of Israel over the course of his reelection bid for his seat representing the 10th District, comprised of parts of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. He is being challenged by former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who has the endorsement of Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who oversees the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, said Monday that her office is investigating this incident.
