Rep. Dan Goldman expressed that it is "sad" a Brooklyn coffee shop seemingly prohibited him from entering, following a viral social media post during a contentious Democratic primary election that has prominently featured the politics surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict.Rep. Dan Goldman expressed disappointment over being denied entry to a Brooklyn coffee shop amidst a politically charged primary election. (Bloomberg)In an interview with CNN’s Laura Coates on Monday, Goldman recounted his encounter at Poetica Coffee, which utilized its official social media account to share a photo on Sunday showing Goldman alongside a receipt for a refund, as evidenced by screenshots of the shop’s posts that circulated widely on Monday. Poetica Coffee has since removed its Instagram account.“I had such a nice interaction with the barista in the coffee shop,” Goldman stated. “She was wearing a hijab, I didn’t know her, but she couldn’t have been nicer and allowed my daughter to go use the bathroom, and I honestly was so grateful for her kindness that I felt like I should buy a coffee, and so I did, and I gave her a large tip.”“It’s a reflection, I think, of a sad state of affairs that without knowing me, we could have had such a nice interaction,” Goldman said.Also Read: Paul Kueker family: All we know as tragedy at Madison Square Garden Goose Concert kills father of twoRep. Dan Goldman banned: All on now-removed postThe now-removed post from Poetica Coffee mentions AIPAC, stating to Goldman, “we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways).”“Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee,” the deleted post states. “Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?”Dan Goldman faces major primary challengeGoldman is encountering a significant primary challenge on Tuesday from former city comptroller Brad Lander, who is endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and has emphasized Goldman’s previous support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.Lander has characterized Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which followed the attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, as genocide – a claim that the Israeli government disputes – and has accused Goldman of being under the influence of AIPAC.On October 7, approximately 1,200 individuals lost their lives, and over 250 others were taken hostage by Hamas. Since the onset of the war following the Hamas attacks, more than 70,000 individuals have died in Gaza.On Monday, Goldman criticized Lander for employing AIPAC as a "dog whistle" and asserted that he would not yield to such rhetoric and divisiveness.“I have many issues with Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu, but simply because I support the existence of Israel as a Jewish state, as the only Jewish state, does not by any means, mean that I support everything that government does,” Goldman stated. “And in fact I do not and I’ve been very open about that.”Lander blasts coffee shop's messageLander released a statement to The New York Times condemning the coffee shop's message.“There are plenty of ways to lobby elected officials and express outrage at the votes they’ve taken without turning coffee shops into places people don’t feel welcome,” Lander said.Goldman makes announcementGoldman also reacted to the announcement made by Harmeet Dhillon, the chief of the Justice Department's civil rights division, regarding the initiation of an investigation into the coffee shop.He would prefer that their time and resources be directed towards investigating antisemitism faced by people who lack a platform like mine, who are not elected officials, and who do not — in certain respects — invite this kind of attention. “I mean, I don’t ask for the antisemitism, but I’m a public figure and I can accept the criticism.”