A cafe owner in Oakland, California kicked out a man for wearing a Star of David emblazoned on his baseball hat this past weekend, arguing that the religious symbol possesses a “violent” connotation and identifies him as a “Zionist.”
In a video posted on social media, Jonathan Hirsch, who is Jewish, was angrily confronted and asked to leave the Jerusalem Coffee House on the afternoon of Oct. 26 because of his hat. Hirsch and the cafe owner, Abdulrahim Harara, engaged in a heated exchange of words, in which the Jewish man accused the venue of practicing unlawful discrimination.
11 Comments
ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works · 14 pts · 1y
That doesn't sound very subtle. I wonder if this guy really did come to the cafe by coincidence or if it was an act of protest. Either way, the proprietor doesn't seem to have a good legal defense...
Edit: The place has an Arabic logo but otherwise it looks like a completely normal Bay Area hipster cafe. (Although I suppose that Bay Area hipster cafes aren't particularly welcoming to people prominently displaying a Star of David.) "Iced In Tea Fada" really is on the menu.
CobblerScholar@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 1y
Yeah it's doesn't seem like that was an idle decision to me either
https://oaklandvoices.us/2024/10/28/jerusalem-coffee-house-oakland-palestine/
ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 1y
Yeah, it seems like both sides are trying to pick a fight now. I wouldn't go to that coffee shop but I'm not sure how
are supposed to help.
Heh, in that article the proprietor claims that
However, Google has photos of an older version of the menu without that drink.
Thcdenton@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 1y
njm1314@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 1y
Well it seems like a yes to me. I wouldn't serve a fascist either. Cafe owner is totally in the right here.
Jews4Palestine@lemmy.today · 5 pts · 1y
Yeah this guy was 100% trying to start conflict. Good call by the owner.
Crashumbc@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1y
Yeah, I grew up in one of the largest Jewish communities in the US. I have NEVER seen someone prominently displaying the star on a cap or t-shirt like that...
Valmond@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y
NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io · 4 pts · 1y
Sigh. For obvious reasons no Arab has good experiences with the Star of David, but still. Sigh.
TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com · 3 pts · 1y
the star used to be required
now it is forbidden
DavidGarcia@feddit.nl · 3 pts · 1y
Why they kick him out over Hindu symbol, what did we ever do to anyone?
NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io · 1 pts · 1y
Uh... Kicking people over the Buddhist Swastika (which, by the way, is oriented different to the Nazi Swastika) is, indeed, ignorant. Kicking people over a wholly non-political symbol like the Star of David just gives the Palestinian cause a bad look.
sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz · 5 pts · 1y
The orientation isn't necessarily different, from what I've read. Just the meaning.