Rep. Dan Goldman was banned from a Brooklyn coffee shop due to his views on Israel. The coffee shop, Poetica Coffee, posted a message on social media stating that they did not want his money, implying it was connected to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Goldman’s Response

Goldman addressed the incident, calling it ‘sad’ and stating that he had a positive interaction with the barista. He also accused his primary challenger, Brad Lander, of using AIPAC as a ‘dog whistle’ to divide people.

Goldman is facing a tough primary challenge from Lander, who has referred to Israel’s actions in Gaza as ‘genocide’. Goldman has been open about his support for Israel as a Jewish state, but has also criticized the Israeli government’s actions.

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the coffee shop’s actions, but Goldman has stated that he would rather they focus on investigating antisemitism against those who do not have a public platform.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.