Jewish journalist, 29, is suing bar Brooklyn for refusing to serve him on a date

A Jewish journalist is suing a bar after he claims to have been discriminated against and verbally abused by a bartender who berated him for his Zionist beliefs.

Elad Eliahu, 29, who openly identifies as a Zionist, claims he was on a first date with a woman at Swell Dive in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, when bartender Alvin Dan “deliberately” mispronounced his name before allegedly asking him to leave while calling him a ‘Zionist fascist’.

The bartender, Dan, allegedly told Eliahu to leave the room “otherwise he would embarrass him” by claiming the journalist “harases abortion patients” and “doxes people” through his reporting – all in front of from his date and other customers in the bar.

The lawsuit filed in the Brooklyn Supreme Court alleges that Dan continued to harass and taunt Eliahu after he left the bar, even videotaping himself walking down the street.

The incident was recorded by Dan, 31, who later posted videos of himself on Instagram taunting and harassing Eliahu as he left the venue.

“Why are you running away?” Dan can be heard on the video posted online.

‘That’s Elad, I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it [he] has the balls to have a terrible social life.”

Dan then told Eliahu never to return to the neighborhood.

Eliahu is now suing Swell Dive and Dan to seek unspecified damages for discrimination he alleges was based on his race, national origin and creed because he identifies as a Zionist.

He also claims the incident cost him extra dates with the woman he was with, who he said she had to leave ‘for her safety’, was shocked and hesitant about him after the attack.

Eliahu, who lives on Long Island, told the New York Post he was “angry” and “distraught” during the verbal attack, but tried to remain calm throughout.

“I thought to myself to keep calm and not react,” Eliahu told the New York Post. “I wasn’t about to yell anything.”

Eliahu has more than 22,000 followers on Twitter and posted a video of the incident there.

“Was out for a drink in Brooklyn last night where a far-left activist who regularly bartends started screeching at me that I’m a ‘Zionist fascist’ and falsely claiming I’m harassing abortion patients or dox people as a result of my reporting,” he wrote. .

He also called out the bar on Instagram, causing Swell Dive to respond to him privately.

“Sounds like your displeasure is with the bartender, not the bar,” the owner wrote.

“I was wrongly refused to be served by a bartender and I believe because I am Jewish,” Eliahu argues. “I believe if I wasn’t Jewish he wouldn’t have said or done these things.”

“This lawsuit sheds light on anti-Semitic behavior that took place in this bar, perpetrated by an employee,” Eliahu’s lawyers said in a statement.

“Let the message be sent loud and clear with the filing of this lawsuit: If you engage in anti-Semitic conduct, you will pay a jury-determined price in damages for your actions,” the statement continued.

“In addition, we will request that the New York State Liquor Authority open an investigation to determine whether this bar should be revoked.”

Eliahu made headlines in 2021 when he was kicked out of a Turning Point USA conference after rushing acquitted Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse with questions.

That same year also reported on a pro-Palestinian protest in Manhattan following an Israeli rocket attack in Gaza.

More recently, he has covered protests taking place outside Drag Queen Story Hours and earlier this month he covered former President Donald Trump’s appearance in a Manhattan courtroom.

Much of Eliahu’s work is superimposed on his Instagram page as well as Timcast interviewing “prominent figures on current issues,” often with a right-wing slant.

His work for the outlet describes him as a New York City-based on-the-ground reporter who focuses on protests and civil unrest.