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A kosher hotel in Davos, Switzerland, recently received a letter filled with antisemitic insults and explicit death threats, the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG) confirmed this week.
The letter, delivered at the end of July but disclosed publicly on Sunday, warned, “we will come and kill you all.” It also included Holocaust references and Nazi imagery.
Jonathan Kreutner, SIG’s secretary-general, stressed the seriousness of the incident. “A death threat is not a verbal slur. It has a completely different nature and, above all, a completely different effect on the people concerned,” he said. He added that such threats were once rare in Switzerland. Police received the letter immediately and launched an investigation.
A Surge of Antisemitic Incidents in Davos
Davos, an Alpine resort town known for hosting global leaders, has faced a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents over the last two years. Swastikas and antisemitic graffiti defaced Jewish sites, including the same hotel that received the threat.
In July, two Jewish couples visiting the town were spat on, pushed, insulted, and threatened. Soon after, violence escalated further. In August, a 24-year-old Algerian asylum seeker assaulted a 19-year-old Jewish tourist on the town’s main promenade. The attacker punched the young man several times in the face. A Swiss court sentenced him to six months in prison.
Kreutner explained that many antisemitic incidents in Switzerland stem from the Middle East conflict. “In 2024, we noticed that almost half of the antisemitic incidents had a direct link with the situation in Gaza; this year, we will be at a similar level,” he said.
Growing Need for Action
The Davos case highlights the urgent need for vigilance and decisive action. Antisemitic threats sow fear and undermine the security of Jews in Switzerland. Therefore, civic leaders, law enforcement, and broader society must confront hatred directly and consistently. Only with a clear stand against antisemitism can Switzerland protect its Jewish population and preserve public trust.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
