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A shop in Flensburg, Germany, recently displayed a sign reading “JEWS are banned from here!!!! Nothing personal. Not even antisemitism. I just can’t stand you.”
The wording directly recalled the boycotts and street signs of the 1930s, when Jews faced exclusion from German businesses under Nazi rule.
A sign in a German shop reads:
“JEWS are banned from here!!!! Nothing personal and not antisemitism, I just can’t stand you.”
The shop owner put it up because of Israel’s “actions in Gaza”. It’s now removed but exposes the Jew-hate just waiting to pour out. pic.twitter.com/Q04y2ExrTT
— Heidi Bachram 🎗️ (@HeidiBachram) September 18, 2025
German Officials Condemn “Pure Antisemitism”
Felix Klein, Germany’s federal antisemitism commissioner, described the notice as “antisemitism in its purest form,” adding that and “of course, there are direct references to the Nazi era, when Jews were boycotted and there were many such signs.” Education Minister Karin Prien, who is Jewish, condemned the “blatant antisemitism” and demanded that authorities impose a tough crackdown.
Other state and federal officials joined in with strong condemnations. Consequently, the prosecutor’s office launched a criminal investigation.
By the next day, locals covered the storefront with counter-messages, including “Nazis Out” and “F** Nazis.”*
Shop Owner Defends Discrimination
The shop owner, who sells books and gothic antiques, defended his action in an interview with local media. He argued that the war in Gaza motivated the sign and insisted he could not distinguish between Jews who support or oppose Israel’s military operations.
His reasoning revealed how the conflict is repeatedly exploited in Europe as a pretext for antisemitism. Instead of voicing a political opinion, he chose to target Jews.
A Growing Warning Sign in Germany
The incident occurred days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a stark warning. He explained that criticism of Israel increasingly serves as cover to incite hostility against Jews. Moreover, Merz stressed that antisemitism in Germany has become “louder, more open, more brazen, more violent almost every day” since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre.
“‘Criticism of Israel’ and the crudest perpetrator-victim reversal is increasingly a pretext under which the poison of antisemitism is spread,” he said, warning that “antisemitic rhetoric is becoming normalized.”
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.
