A shop owner in Flensburg, Germany, near the Danish border, caused outrage by putting up an anti-Semitic sign in his window, effectively banning Jews from entering his store.
The 60-year-old owner, Hans Velten-Reisch, admitted to putting up the sign himself, which read: “Jews not allowed!!!” He followed it with a disclaimer in smaller letters, stating, “Nothing personal, not anti-Semitism, I just can’t stand you.”
In response to accusations of anti-Semitism, Velten-Reisch justified his actions by pointing to Israel’s attacks on Gaza, claiming that he couldn’t differentiate between Jews who supported the attacks and those who didn’t.
The incident prompted a strong reaction from various quarters, with the German federal government’s commissioner against anti-Semitism, Felix Klein, condemning the sign as a direct reference to the Nazi era when Jews were boycotted.
Local politicians, including the Flensburg branch of the Greens and former mayor Simone Lange, took swift action by filing police reports. Federal Minister of Education Karin Prien, who has Jewish ancestry, emphasized that anti-Semitism goes against democratic values.
The Israeli ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, expressed concern, likening the situation to the 1930s when anti-Semitic signs were prevalent. He warned that such hatred could escalate into violence, urging for zero tolerance towards anti-Semitism.
The police have launched an investigation into the matter to determine if any laws were violated. Klein stressed the importance of standing up against anti-Semitism to prevent history from repeating itself.