NY's 10th District race: Lander tells supporters to ease up on Goldman amid dispute with cafe over Israel

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Jun 23, 2026

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NEW YORK — Brad Lander on Tuesday called on his supporters to ease up on rival Rep. Dan Goldman after a Brooklyn cafe told the congressman he wasn’t welcome because of his support for Israel.

Lander, who is running to unseat Goldman in the Democratic primary for the NY-10 district, asked his backers to tone down the “toxic” attacks on Goldman and praised his opponent for taking the high road over the dispute.

“The online rhetoric targeting Dan Goldman & his staff have been over-the-top toxic, from right & left & who knows where,” Lander tweeted on “I’m pleading with people to turn it down.”

Lander urged New Yorkers to fight hard for what they believe in, but to keep the disputes civil.

“Some spirited disagreement, with the goal of building a better city for all,” Lander said. “That’s the New York we know and love.”

Goldman found himself at the center of a social media firestorm late Monday when he went to Poetica Coffee in Brooklyn with his young daughter and bought a coffee.

The cafe’s management later posted an image of Goldman on the shop’s Instagram along with a refund notice and a message referring to his support for what it called Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians.

“We don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers or anyone in between,” the shop said. “Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away.”

In a reply to the post, Goldman said he was stunned by the message, which the shop deleted, but praised the Muslim barista who served him and his daughter.

The shop’s Instagram profile has since been deleted or deactivated.

“She couldn’t have been nicer and allowed my daughter to go use the bathroom, and I honestly was so grateful for her kindness,” Goldman wrote.

“It’s a reflection, I think, of a sad state of affairs,” Goldman said of the attack over Israel.

On Monday, Harmeet Dhillon, the top civil rights attorney at President Trump’s Department of Justice, said her office was investigating the incident.

Goldman, who has sparred with Lander over Israel, said he didn’t think any investigation is necessary, noting that he is a public figure and people are free to criticize him. Lander called his rival’s response to the incident “extremely gracious.”

The dispute flared as Lander and Goldman battled for the Democratic nod in the deep blue district covering lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. Lander, a former comptroller and losing mayoral candidate, has led most polls of the race.

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