Oakland cafe owner refutes claims of discrimination against Jewish patrons

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — The owner of Jerusalem Cafe in Oakland, Abdulrahim Harara, has spoken publicly for the first time since the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice filed a lawsuit accusing him of refusing to serve Jewish customers.

The lawsuit alleges that Harara harassed and excluded plaintiff Michael Radice, telling him to leave the cafe because he is Jewish, and once chased him down the block. Harara held a news conference on Wednesday, joined by community members and his lawyers, to address the civil rights lawsuit.

“He is a good person, he serves all faiths,” said Monadel Herzallah, a local store owner.

“He went in with his son to have a latte and his son playing chess and chased out,” said Radice’s attorney, Paul Peckles.

Harara’s attorney emphasized their commitment to fighting the lawsuit, saying, “We will continue to fight for our rights.”

Harara and his supporters argue that the lawsuit is an attempt to silence their views on Palestinian rights. They claim to be victims in this situation and are determined to stand up for their beliefs.

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and aims to ensure that everyone’s civil rights are protected, according to Radice’s attorney, Peckles.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.