An Oakland coffee shop accused of discriminating against Jewish customers who displayed the Star of David has shut its doors as its owner battles three lawsuits over the alleged treatment of Jewish patrons.

Jerusalem Coffee House, a Palestinian-owned cafe known for its outspoken pro-Palestinian identity, closed last week. The business said owner Abdulrahim Harara is turning his attention to legal challenges brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Anti-Defamation League and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.

The legal trouble stems from allegations involving two Jewish customers who say they were targeted at the cafe while wearing baseball caps bearing the Star of David.

In one highly publicized incident, Jewish customer Jonathan Hirsch entered the cafe with his 5-year-old son to have a drink and play chess. According to his lawsuit, Harara confronted Hirsch over the Star of David on his hat and ultimately ordered him to leave.

Video from the encounter showed Harara calling the symbol “violent” and questioning Hirsch about whether he was a Zionist.

The dispute eventually escalated beyond private litigation. The Justice Department filed a federal civil rights lawsuit accusing the cafe and its owner of religious discrimination in connection with the treatment of Hirsch and another Jewish customer.

The cafe had already drawn widespread criticism for its political messaging.

On October 7, 2024, exactly one year after the Hamas massacre in Israel, Jerusalem Coffee House introduced a menu featuring a drink called “Sweet Sinwar,” a name critics connected to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, one of the masterminds of the October 7 attack.

Another drink was dubbed “Iced in Tea Fada,” an apparent play on “intifada,” while the menu also incorporated inverted red triangles, a symbol that became associated with Hamas propaganda identifying Israeli targets.

Harara denied that “Sweet Sinwar” was a tribute to the Hamas leader, arguing that Sinwar is a Palestinian family name. He also maintained that the menu’s October 7 launch coincided with the cafe’s anniversary rather than being intended to commemorate the Hamas attack.

Now, the cafe that opened in October 2023 has closed while its owner fights multiple discrimination cases.

The Brandeis Center welcomed the shutdown.

“Discrimination comes with a price,” Brandeis Center chairman Kenneth Marcus told the San Francisco Standard.

For the Jewish customers who say they were singled out for openly displaying a Jewish symbol, however, the legal fight continues.