Anti-racist Jews defend Abdulrahim & the Jerusalem Coffee House against racism.

Jews of Conscience across the United States stand with the Palestinian-owned and operated Jerusalem Coffee House against false accusations of antisemitism and your politically-motivated lawsuit. Drop the case now.

We know that the DOJ case against the cafe was provoked by lawsuits and lobbying by the Anti-Defamation League and Brandeis Center.  Both of these organizations are known for their dangerous and false conflation of criticism of Israel or call to end Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza with “antisemitism.” Working in coordination with these two organizations, on two separate dates, two provocateurs entered Jerusalem Coffee House to bait the Palestinian workers and owner. Asked to leave after making workers and customers distressed, they went to these organizations to file lawsuits.

After over a year of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, Jerusalem Coffee House workers and owner were harassed with the explicit goal of provocation by two bad actors. In both instances, the agitators were wearing blue caps with a white Star of David.

In the first instance, the cap also said, “Am Yisraeli Chai,” which translates as, “The people of lsrael live.” By June 2024, over 65,000 Palestinians had been murdered, over 18,000 of which were children. In this context, such a hat is an act of racism and violence. Wearing it is rubbing it in the face of Palestinians that so many Palestinians have been killed by Israel.

In both instances, the people were wearing clothing that mimicked the Israeli flag, the flag of those committing genocide – those shooting parents and children in cars, those orchestrating a manmade famine, those flying the planes bombing hospitals and schools, those preventing aid shipment of food and medicine from getting into Gaza, and those shooting people as they attempt to access the limited aid that does make it into Gaza.

The complaints filed with your Department misrepresent the intention of these two individuals as well as the level of coordination between them and organizations whose day-in and day-out work is to defend Israel and its genocide.

It is the right of any business owner to refuse service to anyone. It is the responsibility of any business owner to insist that people leave who are making staff, community members, and customers distressed.

Your complacency in the weaponization of antisemitism does not make Jewish people safer. As Jay Michaelson argues, “conflating real antisemitism with political disagreement” cheapens the term ‘antisemitism’ to the point of “rendering it almost meaningless.” We refuse to allow our own history of deadly racist violence against Jewish people to be “rendered meaningless” by its use to justify anti-Palestinian racism.

As Jews of Conscience, we reject the claim that the Jerusalem Coffee House acts or has ever acted with malice towards the Jewish community. As customers and members of the community that the cafe welcomes and reflects, we stand in unwavering solidarity with cafe owner Abdulrahim and & all staff at the Jerusalem Coffee House.

The organizations and signers below demand that the Department of Justice drop this lawsuit and not participate in the racism and hatred the ADL and the Brandeis Center are leveraging against Jerusalem Coffee House.

Signing Organizations

Jewish Voice for Peace – Bay Area

Jewish Voice for Peace - Rabbinical Council

International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network