Alan Dershowitz announced that he plans to sue a Brooklyn coffee shop after it publicly declared that Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., was unwelcome because of his support for Israel, escalating a controversy that has already prompted a federal civil rights investigation.

Speaking Wednesday on Newsmax’s “The Record With Greta Van Susteren,” the longtime legal scholar sharply criticized Poetica Coffee after the business refunded Goldman’s purchase and later announced that it would not have served him had employees recognized him during his visit with his daughter.

The dispute has also attracted the attention of the federal government.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division confirmed that it has launched an investigation into whether Poetica Coffee violated federal anti-discrimination laws by publicly stating that it would have denied service to Goldman because of his pro-Israel views.

“Federal law prohibits public accommodations such as coffee shops from discriminating against patrons based on their race, religion, or national origin,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote on X in announcing the probe.

Dershowitz said the episode is part of what he sees as a growing wave of hostility toward Israel and the Jewish community.

“I think that’s the way it has to be in New York,” Dershowitz told Van Susteren. “If Dan Goldman can’t have the coffee from the shop, nobody should.

“The Justice Department should shut it down. It should be boycotted,” he added.

The controversy erupted after Poetica Coffee published a social media post ridiculing Goldman and stating that staff members would have refused him service if they had realized who he was.

In that post, the coffee shop accused the Jewish congressman of facilitating “genocide” because of his support for Israel and implied that his financial backing came from the pro-Israel advocacy organization AIPAC.

Goldman later said his interaction with the barista had been cordial and described the entire incident as “sad.” He urged Americans to focus on finding common ground instead of allowing political differences to drive further division.

Dershowitz likened the situation to an incident he experienced last year, when a food vendor on Martha’s Vineyard refused to serve him because of his political positions and his legal representation of controversial clients.

According to Dershowitz, he ultimately succeeded in persuading officials overseeing the marketplace to adopt a rule requiring all vendors to serve customers regardless of their political beliefs.

He said he now intends to pursue similar legal action against the Brooklyn coffee shop.

“The law of New York prohibits discrimination based on invidious characteristics, including religion,” Dershowitz said. “Obviously this is based in part on religion, because Zionism is part of the Jewish religion.”

The Harvard Law School professor emeritus also faulted Democratic leaders for what he believes has been an inadequate response to rising antisemitism.

“This is a horrible situation,” Dershowitz said. “If it could happen to New York, it can happen anywhere.”

The Justice Department has not announced a timetable for completing its investigation, and Poetica Coffee has not publicly commented on the federal probe.

{Matzav.com}