Berkeley police investigating hate crime as cafe vandalized 4 times for 'Free Palestine' sign

BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- There is a strong blend of coffee and community at Jaffa Coffee Roasters in Berkeley. The three brothers who own and operate the coffee shop have come up with a unique drink list.

"We hold very near and dear to our heart, the Jaffa Orange Latte. It is our signature drink," says Sami Gaith, one of three brothers.

Not an orange fan? Sami suggests trying Strawberry Sage Creek.

"It does two things for us. It reminds us of the strawberries that are grown in Gaza. We don't get our strawberries from Gaza, of course. But we use 'creek' to pay homage to the Ohlone land we are standing on," explains Sami.

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The brothers quit their IT jobs to open the coffee shop in June. Just as their coffee drinks infuse new identities, their shop does, too. The vibe is part Palestine, part California.

"We are very outspokenly Palestinian. We are very proud of our heritage. We are also very proud of being Californian. We have one of the coolest cultures in my opinion in the world. Even the music behind me playing - historic Beach Boys," says Sami.

The brother say business is booming. But just as they are trying to build their brand, the "Free Palestine" sign that hangs by the front window, was vandalized. Now, a total of four times in just two months. In the most recent incident, which happened in mid-August, the person tagged the word "porn."

"Now, to me that's a little lewd. Even if you want to affect the Palestinians, kids that walk across and see the word 'porn,'" says Sami. "We as a company just stand against hate and violence."

They believe it's the same person all four times. After the fourth instance, they reported it to police with concerns that it could escalate.

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"Clearly understand what's going on. They don't like the voice we are projecting out onto the streets," says Sami. "You might give the idea that's it's OK to go tag Palestinian businesses with graffiti. The next thing you know, they might think, 'Ok, we are not going to get in trouble for that, I guess we can go break their windows."

In a statement to ABC7 News, Berkeley police say: "The Department is investigating the vandalism as (a) hate crime and it is still under investigation."

Noor, another of the three brothers, says they expected they would face some backlash when they opened. But he says the out-pouring of support the community has also been tremendous.

Noor says they're not mad, but they do want to stand up for their rights.

"We aren't doing anything wrong," says Noor. "We thank the community, one. And two, we stand against hate and we won't stop talking about Palestine and won't stop talking about what's going on."