Oakland coffee shop owner fires back after DOJ, ADL lawsuits: ‘My words feel small in the rubble of lives lost’

OAKLAND Fathi Abdulrahim Harara had little to say Wednesday about alleged confrontations with Jewish customers that have placed his Telegraph Avenue caf in the crosshairs of federal prosecutors Instead Harara focused his first inhabitants remarks about a Department of Justice lawsuit against him on Israel s siege of Gaza which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and in the past month led dozens to die of starvation My words feel small in the rubble of lives lost Harara mentioned referencing the endless stream of footage from Gaza that has broadcast globally the charred remains of my people Death has crept into every crevice of life in Gaza he added And yet despite the violence we have endured and continue to face my heart remains faithfully tethered to justice Harara owns Jerusalem Coffee House a small Palestinian-inspired caf in the city s Temescal district where the business owner is accused by federal prosecutors of verbally berating multiple customers last year because they wore hats displaying the Star of David a symbol of Jewish faith Video of the last of these confrontations between Harara and a man who had previously filmed other similar run-ins went viral online reportedly inviting condemnation of Harara s actions by a number of California s elected leaders including Rep Adam Schiff Civil rights attorney Glenn Katon addresses the media and area members during a press conference in assistance of the Jerusalem Coffee House held at the East Bay Population Space in Oakland CA on Wednesday July The coffee house and it s owner Abdulrahim Harara have been accused of antisemitic discrimination in three separate lawsuits brought forth by the Department of Justice DOJ the Anti-Defamation League ADL and the Brandeis Center BC Don Feria for Bay Area News Group In addition to the Department of Justice the business has also separately been sued by the Anti-Defamation League and the Brandeis Center over Harara s alleged attempts to remove customers of a protected class from his business Among those flanking the caf owner at Wednesday s news conference were his legal representation including longtime civil-rights attorney Walter Riley as well as members of the local Palestinian region Notably the business owner also detected assistance from local Jewish critics of Israel such as the activist group Jewish Voice for Peace and Rabbi Cat Zavis of the Beyt Tikkun synagogue in Berkeley a progressive congregation that is representative of growing anti-Zionist sentiment in the East Bay Standing in solidarity with Palestine Zavis mentioned Wednesday is the most of Jewish thing we could do Harara though has also discovered himself on the defensive after being accused of blatant anti-Semitism against Jewish customers and is now facing a federal lawsuit Prosecutors say a man wearing such a hat had been sitting outside the coffee shop in June when Harara came outside to verbally berate him Two months later the same man returned this time without a hat but Harara recognized him You re the guy with the hat Harara allegedly explained the man according to the federal lawsuit You re the Jew You re the Zionist We don t want you in our coffee shop Get out A third event in October involved Harara telling a man seated with his son at Jerusalem Coffee Shop to leave because the man was wearing a violent hat per a viral video of the encounter Shop owner Abdulrahim Harara listens to speeches made during a press conference in backing of the Jerusalem Coffee House held at the East Bay Population Space in Oakland CA on Wednesday July The coffee house and it s owner Abdulrahim Harara have been accused of antisemitic discrimination in three separate lawsuits brought forth by the Department of Justice DOJ the Anti-Defamation League ADL and the Brandeis Center BC Don Feria for Bay Area News Group The man Oakland resident Jonathan Hirsch fired back that Harara could not ask him to leave because of my religion but the business owner denied that was the reason Are you a Zionist the video depicts Harara demanding to know Hirsch declines to answer but Harara presses on Then get out Hirsch had been involved in several earlier inhabitants confrontations recorded on video including multiple fiery arguments about politics the San Francisco Standard disclosed But Hirsch who spoke at length to local news media in the aftermath of the Jerusalem Coffee House development advised the Standard that he had not visited the caf intending to produce another viral run-in Those rallying behind Harara meanwhile described the coffee shop as a welcoming context the kind of Oakland storefront that opposes oppression in any form The business is a next-door tenant of East Bay Neighborhood Space a gathering spot for activists where Wednesday s news conference was held What took place was a clear act of provocation revealed Monadel Herzallah a close friend of Harara s designed to bait business people into a reaction for the sake of whitewashing extremist racist policies This was not about justice it was a trap Attorney Walter Riley addresses the media and group members during a press conference in aid of the Jerusalem Coffee House held at the East Bay Group Space in Oakland CA on Wednesday July The coffee house and it s owner Abdulrahim Harara have been accused of antisemitic discrimination in three separate lawsuits brought forth by the Department of Justice DOJ the Anti-Defamation League ADL and the Brandeis Center BC Don Feria for Bay Area News Group Another speaker took the Star of David dispute head on saying it came to real prominence only when it was chosen as the central symbol of Israel s national flag by the First Zionist Congress in the late s As a Jew when I see someone with a prominent Star of David especially if it is accompanied by the colors blue and white it strikes fear even in me commented AJ Pluss a local chapter member of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Organization Oakland has located itself under intense scrutiny by pro-Israel organizations and elected leaders in nearly two years since the Oct attack by Hamas killed people and took over hostage The city was among the first in the Bay Area to call for a ceasefire to Israel s subsequent assault of Gaza which the local medical ministry there estimates has killed over people Israel s blockade of food medicine and supplies to the region has led more than people to die of starvation the Associated Press stated despite denials by the country s leaders The increasingly desperate situation abroad took center stage Wednesday leaving Harara s legal situation with the Department of Justice almost a side note to his supporters broader call for Palestinian civil rights I hope that we will expose these cases for what they are stated Glenn Katon another attorney reprsenting Harara which is a hypocritical attack on a really beautiful and loving part of our society Shomik Mukherjee is a reporter covering Oakland Call or text him at - - or email him at shomik bayareanewsgroup com