Two of the anti-Israel employees who barred a Jewish woman from using the restroom at Farley’s Coffee in Oakland, California. Photo: Screenshot

Farley’s Coffee Shop in Oakland, California, announced that it has fired staffers who recently expressed anti-Israel sentiments and barred a Jewish customer from using the establishment’s restroom.

In a joint statement shared on social media, the store’s owners, Amy and Chris Hillyard, also apologized a second time for the incident that took place at its shop last week.

“What began as a civil dialogue between our staff and a Jewish customer escalated into a situation that was shocking and unacceptable,” the Hillyards said on Friday. “Events like these strike fear in the Jewish community and perpetuate the rise of antisemitism in our community and around the world. We do not tolerate any behavior at Farley’s that makes people feel unwelcome or unsafe.”

“Because this act was not aligned with our values, the employees involved in the incident are no longer employed by Farley’s,” they added. “Though all employees are entitled to hold differing viewpoints, they are not entitled to express themselves on the job in ways that are disrespectful and hurtful to anyone.”

Three staff members at the establishment prevented a Jewish woman from going to the bathroom, knowing that she wanted to film antisemitic graffiti inside the restroom that said “Zionism=Fascism,” “Free Palestine,” and “your neutrality” is enabling “genocide.” The staff members also ranted against Israel, which was all caught on video by the Jewish customer, as she was blocked entry to the bathroom’s door and told to leave the coffee shop or use a different bathroom.

Farley’s Coffee first apologized for the incident in a statement posted on Instagram on Thursday, saying, “We’re not antisemitic … The staff handled the situation poorly, and we apologize for this error and the distress caused to the customer.” That apology has since been deleted from the store’s Instagram account.

The Hillyards said in their joint statement that they have “zero room” in their business or community “for speech or conduct that acts to ‘other’ anyone based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, skin color, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other discriminatory basis.” They also addressed the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel and expressed sympathy for all those “affected by the pain and suffering that’s occurred in the Middle East” since the massacre.

“Nothing we say can adequately capture the pain and terror that Hamas inflicted on innocent civilians, nor the horrific suffering and loss of innocent Palestinian lives in Gaza since then,” they added. “These difficult times should bring us together — not create division and stoke anxiety and fear. We can and must do better — and this starts with us creating a safe space for anyone who patronizes our coffeehouse.”

“We are committed to working with community leaders and organizations across the Bay Area to make sure we as owners, and our employees, have the resources, education and skills necessary to peacefully exist in this community,” the statement read in conclusion. “We hope to continue to have the privilege of serving our community and to once again being a coffeehouse where everyone feels welcome.”

Photo: Screenshot