California Café Owner Harasses and Expels Jewish Father and Toddler, Glorifies Hamas (Video)

In a disturbing case of overt Islamic antisemitism, a Jewish man and his five-year-old son were thrown out of an Oakland café by its owner, a self-professed supporter of Hamas. The incident occurred on October 26, when Jonathan Hirsch, wearing a cap with the Star of David, entered the Jerusalem Coffee House in North Oakland with his young child.

They were soon accosted by the café owner, Abdulrahim Harara, a Palestinian and Bay Area native, who repeatedly demanded Hirsch reveal whether he was a Zionist, terrifying Hirsch’s son, who was left in tears and showing his hatred of Jews.

Harara, whose family is from Gaza, had recently modified his café menu to feature an item named “Sweet Sinwar”—a shameless tribute to Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader responsible for orchestrating the October 7 massacre that took the lives of over 1,200 innocent civilians in Israel. Despite widespread condemnation, Harara denied glorifying a terrorist, even while the choice to celebrate Sinwar—a figure responsible for heinous acts of violence—speaks for itself.

WATCH: On Saturday, a Jewish man and his five-old-son were directed across the street to Jerusalem Coffee House in Oakland while looking for a restroom.

After purchasing drinks and sitting down, the cafe owner confronted the man about the Star of David on his hat, stating it was… pic.twitter.com/aJEKybkbQW

— JCRC Bay Area (@SFJCRC) October 30, 2024

Video footage shows Oakland Police Department officers attempting to de-escalate the situation when they arrived at the scene. Hirsch later expressed deep disappointment at how unprepared the officers seemed to be in handling the incident or understanding its gravity. He explained that one of the officers appeared confused by the terms being used, even asking him to spell ‘Zionism’ and ‘Israeli’ and then asking him, ‘Tell me what Zionism means to you.’ Shocked, Hirsch responded, ‘Why are you asking me these questions? Why, did I say anything about Zionism or Israel?’ His frustration grew as he realized the officers didn’t grasp the anti-Jewish nature of the confrontation. Feeling unsupported, Hirsch called an acquaintance from his synagogue, who happened to be an attorney, to come and assist as he spoke to the police.

Other items on the shop’s menu have recently come under fire, “Ice In Tea Fada,” described as Sweet Smokey Cedar Pu’er processed as a black tea. This is an ode expressing his unapologetic hatred of the Jewish state and its people. The first (1987) and second intifada (2000) describe violent uprisings and terrorism against Jewish Israelis. Bomb and gun attacks, among other things, were committed during the two intifada. 

Harara’s hostile questioning of Hirsch’s Zionist views is a thinly veiled attack on Jewish identity, conflating Hirsch’s visible symbols of faith with political assumptions.

Jeremy Russell of the Bay Area Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) called this “the clearest case of anti-Jewish discrimination” he has seen in over a decade. The fact that Harara felt emboldened enough to confront and intimidate a Jewish man and his child openly speaks volumes about the impact of anti-Jewish sentiments within Islamic circles.

Harara’s final words as he expelled Hirsch and his son were peppered with profanities targeting Israel and Zionists. At the same time, he cynically proclaimed his supposed “love” for Jewish people—a contradiction to the values of any community that truly values respect and peace. Zionism is the belief in Jewish self-determination in their ancestral homeland, In other words, supporting Israel’s right to exist.

Arabic calligraphy inside Jerusalem Coffee House:

For Hirsch, the incident was traumatic, not only because it happened in front of his young son but also because of the larger message it seemed to send. ‘Just in that moment, I was like, I can’t leave here, not for my son,’ he said. ‘I can’t show him that, uh-oh, an antisemite is screaming at me, we better scurry, we better run off.’ The incident left him shaken, casting doubts about his future in Oakland.

Hirsch concluded, ‘I need to know, does the city actually not think that the Oakland I believe in is real, that it’s supposed to be safe and inclusive for everyone? Because I just don’t understand what is going on here.’

Community leaders have condemned this act, urging a thorough examination of the normalization of extremist ideologies, such as Islam, that fuel such vile Jew hatred.