Oakland coffee house at center of DOJ lawsuit vandalized, blames ‘Zionists’

(KRON) — A Palestinian-owned Oakland coffee house currently being sued by the United States Department of Justice for allegedly refusing to serve Jewish customers blamed “Zionists” after being struck by vandals this week. The Jerusalem Coffee House, located at 5443 Telegraph Ave., posted on social media Tuesday that it had its front window broken.

An Instagram post by the business showed the shop’s smashed-out front window. The post was captioned “zionists can break every window, vandalize our business as many times as they like. But they’ll never have the courage to confront us head on.” The post did not include any evidence behind the claim of responsibility.

The post went on to invoke historically antisemitic tropes, including comparing Zionists to vermin. Zionism is a Jewish nationalist movement, dedicated to the support of a Jewish homeland in Israel.

While the Oakland Police Department confirmed to KRON4 that it is investigating a vandalism incident at the coffee house, it did not provide any information on suspects or motive.

A statement sent to KRON4 said Jerusalem Coffee House owner Abdulrahim Harara “suspects the vandalization was an attempt to intimidate him and his community that openly condemn the genocide of Palestinian people.”

“The incident follows a year-long spate of harassment the cafe has endured including hate mail, digital smear campaigns and legal attacks,” the statement went on to say.

The United States does not officially recognize allegations of genocide against Palestinians by Israel. However, other nations, including South Africa and Turkey, maintain that Israel’s actions in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks do constitute genocide.

Oakland police said the vandalism of the coffee shop occurred between 11 p.m. on Oct. 5 and 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 6.

According to the coffee house, the window on the cafe’s Telegraph Avenue side was broken, “shattering glass onto the sidewalk, the cafe interior and the plants.” Coffee shop owners told police the suspect used an object to smash the window before fleeing the scene.

Police say the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The Jerusalem Coffee House was at the center of a controversy that emerged last year after a customer at the business said he was asked to leave for wearing a Star of David hat. In that October 2024 incident, Jonathon Hirsch and his son were asked to leave after being confronted by Harara.

At one point in the incident, which was caught on video, Harara can be heard telling Hirsch he is wearing a “violent hat.” Harara is named in the DOJ lawsuit as one of the owners of the coffee house.

KRON4 has reached out to the Jerusalem Coffee House and the Jewish Community Relations Council for further comment.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the OPD Criminal Investigation Division at (510) 238-3728. Those with videos or photos that could assist with the investigation are asked to send them to cidvideos@oaklandca.gov.