The US Justice Department initiated federal civil rights proceedings Monday against Jerusalem Coffee House in Oakland, California, alleging systematic religious discrimination targeting Jewish customers. Federal prosecutors filed the lawsuit in the Northern District of California against owner Fathi Abd al-Rahim Harara and Native Grounds LLC, citing violations of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in public accommodations based on race, color, religion, or national origin.
The federal complaint details how Harara and his employees removed Jewish customers from the establishment on two documented occasions after identifying them through baseball caps displaying the Star of David. One staff member confronted a Jewish customer, declaring, "You with the hat. You're the Jew. You're the Zionist. We don't want you here. Get out." During a separate incident, Harara personally ordered a Jewish father and his five-year-old son to leave the premises, labeled the father a "genocide supporter," and deliberately filed false police reports claiming they were trespassers.
The lawsuit further alleges that on October 7, 2024 – marking the anniversary of Hamas' terror assault on Israel – the coffee shop released a provocative special menu featuring beverages titled "Iced In-Tea-Fada" and "Sweet Sinwar," clear allusions to the intifada and Yahya Sinwar, the deceased Hamas leader who masterminded the October 7 massacre.
The establishment's exterior wall displayed painted inverted red triangles, an antisemitic symbol that has proliferated in graffiti campaigns targeting Jewish residences and synagogues since the conflict began.
"This represents an illegal, intolerable situation deserving complete condemnation when an American business open to the public refuses to serve Jewish customers," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated from the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "We will continue enforcing the law with determination to combat antisemitism and discrimination, and to protect the civil rights of all Americans wherever they are."
Federal prosecutors are seeking an injunction mandating the business owners terminate discriminatory policies and modify service procedures to guarantee equal treatment for all customers, though the lawsuit does not pursue monetary damages for victims due to statutory limitations.
