Less than a week before Jews around the world prepare to welcome Rosh Hashanah, a shocking incident in northern Germany has reignited concerns over the rise of antisemitism across Europe.
In the city of Flensburg, a local store on Thursday displayed a plaque declaring:
“Jews are banned from here!!! Nothing personal, not even antisemitism, I just can’t stand you.”
The sign, bearing a chilling resemblance to those that hung in Nazi Germany during the 1930s, sparked outrage among Jewish organizations, German officials, and international observers.
The incident, has drawn a strong response from politicians and residents. The sign was placed by Hans Velten Reisch, a 60-year-old shop owner. Reisch defended his actions, dismissing accusations of antisemitism and citing Israel’s military operations in Gaza as his justification.
"Jews live in Israel, and I can't distinguish who is for or against the attacks," Reisch was quoted as saying. He called the actions in Gaza "hypocrisy."
The timing, just 80 years after the Holocaust, when six million Jews were murdered, has intensified the sense of alarm. Such public displays of exclusion mirror the earliest stages of Nazi persecution, when shops and public places banned Jews long before mass deportations and killings began.
