Holiday Hate: Bloomingdale’s Customer Finds “Free Palestine” Message Scrawled on Hanukkah Gift | WATCH

A Gift Defiled by Ideology

A young man looking to surprise his girlfriend for the holiday ordered a pair of Hanukkah themed pajamas from the high end retailer Bloomingdale’s. The purchase was a simple, normal gesture intended to celebrate the festival of lights. However, the experience was ruined when the package arrived. Upon opening the box, the couple discovered that the official store gift card included an unauthorized, handwritten addition: the phrase “Free Palestine.”

The incident has raised serious questions about the safety and neutrality of the retail experience for Jewish consumers. What should have been a private moment of celebration was instead hijacked by a worker who used a customer facing role to target individuals based on their religious observance. This was not an act of activism, but rather a targeted attempt to humiliate and intimidate Jews celebrating a traditional holiday that has nothing to do with the war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

The Rising Tide of Retail Antisemitism

This disturbing event highlights a growing trend of employees slipping personal ideologies into family holiday boxes. By injecting a political slogan into a Hanukkah gift, the perpetrator sent a clear message that being Jewish is a provocation. The act shows that these pro Hamas individuals believe it is acceptable to harass Jewish people regardless of the context or the occasion.

Critics of the incident point out that Hanukkah is not a political statement, and no customer should have to worry whether a packer, cashier, or dispatcher will use their order as a platform for antisemitism. The inclusion of such a message in a gift for a Jewish holiday is a direct attack on the Jewish community, masquerading as a political stance.

Demand for Accountability

Bloomingdale’s now faces significant pressure to identify the individual responsible and ensure that such an incident never happens again. For many, this is seen as a blatant example of antisemitic harassment that creates a hostile environment for shoppers. As the war against Hamas terrorists continues, the spillover of anti Israel sentiment into everyday religious celebrations is becoming an increasingly common and disgusting reality for Jews around the world. The couple involved expressed that the moment was transformed from a joyous holiday surprise into one that was hostile and humiliating, serving as a reminder that for some, the mere celebration of Jewish identity is enough to trigger a hateful response.