On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, the city of Flensburg in northern Germany found itself at the center of a national and international firestorm after a local shop owner posted an antisemitic sign in his store window. The sign, which read, “Jews are banned from entering here! Nothing personal, not even antisemitism, I just can’t stand you,” was displayed in the window of a used bookstore on Duburger Street. The 60-year-old shop owner, Hans Velten Reisch, later admitted to German media that he had put up the sign himself, motivated by anger over the ongoing war in Gaza. He expressed surprise at the backlash that quickly followed.
Within hours, the offensive sign had gone viral, sparking outrage far beyond Flensburg’s city limits. Jewish leaders, politicians, and public officials were swift and unequivocal in their condemnation. According to JTA, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid was among the most vocal critics, threatening legal action against the shopkeeper. Lapid’s personal connection to the Holocaust—his late father, Tomislav Lempl, survived the Budapest ghetto under the Nazis and later reported on the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann—added a powerful sense of gravity to his response. "I will sue the shopkeeper for every cent he owns," Lapid declared, underscoring the seriousness with which the international community viewed the incident.
Flensburg’s mayor, Fabian Geyer, did not mince words either. In a statement quoted by JTA, Geyer said, “This is a reminder of the darkest chapters of Germany’s history and has absolutely no place in this city.” The sign’s language and intent, many noted, were chillingly reminiscent of the Nazi era, when Jews were systematically excluded from public life and targeted with state-sponsored hatred.
Authorities responded quickly. Police ordered Reisch to remove the sign from the store’s front door on Wednesday, which he did. However, local media reported that the sign remained visible inside the shop, prompting further concern and scrutiny. Several individuals filed criminal complaints, and state prosecutors began investigating the incident for possible violations of Germany’s strict laws against hate speech and incitement. Gerhard Ulrich, the antisemitism commissioner of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, confirmed that he had filed a criminal complaint for "incitement of hatred" against the shop owner, as reported in a joint statement with Minister of Culture Dorit Stenke.
“A sign that denies Jews access to a store is a frightening signal and an attack on the principles of our free coexistence,” Stenke said in the official statement. She continued, "We cannot allow such things to continue in our society and must take decisive action against it together. Antisemitism is a threat to our democracy and must not be tolerated in any form." Ulrich echoed these sentiments, emphasizing, "Antisemitic hate speech like this not only hurts those affected, but also disrupts public peace. The Flensburg incident, with its contemptuous rhetoric, is fatally reminiscent of the Nazi hate speech against Jews.”
The timing of the incident is especially troubling for many observers. According to officials, antisemitic incidents have been on the rise in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany’s northernmost state. In 2024 alone, the region saw a staggering 390% increase in antisemitic incidents. This spike has alarmed both local and national leaders, who see it as part of a broader trend of rising intolerance and polarization. Ulrich stressed, "We must stand together against every form of antisemitism. The fight against antisemitism is a special responsibility that we bear as Germans." Minister Stenke announced that a "state action plan against antisemitism" would be adopted in 2026, though details of the plan have yet to be made public.
Felix Klein, Germany’s commissioner for Jewish life and the fight against antisemitism, was blunt in his televised remarks. He described the Flensburg incident as “a clear case of antisemitism, and intervention is necessary.” Klein’s call for decisive action was echoed by many across Germany’s political spectrum, reflecting a widespread consensus that such acts cannot be ignored or minimized.
The incident in Flensburg is not occurring in a vacuum. It comes as both antisemitic incidents and anti-Israel protests are on the rise in Germany, a trend fueled by the nearly two-year-long war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Demonstrations against the war have surged in recent weeks, particularly as several European nations—though notably not Germany—have moved to recognize a Palestinian state. The Flensburg shopkeeper’s explanation, that his sign was an expression of anger over the war, highlights how deeply these global conflicts are influencing local attitudes and behaviors, sometimes with dangerous consequences.
Jewish leaders in Germany have voiced growing concern that their communities are being unfairly targeted as a result of events far beyond their control. The board of the Orthodox Rabbinical Conference of Germany issued a statement on September 17, 2025, warning that German Jews were becoming “collateral damage” in the Gaza conflict. The rabbis urged Germans to direct their protests toward Hamas rather than the Jewish population at home. “The war in Gaza must never be used as a pretext for outright hatred against Jews in Germany. Yet that is precisely what is happening: people who have nothing to do with this war are becoming collateral damage,” the statement read. “We make it clear: Jews in Germany are not responsible for Gaza.”
In response to these mounting challenges, new initiatives are emerging to combat antisemitism and promote tolerance. In Munich, a professor named Guy Katz—an Israeli who has lived in Germany for more than two decades and teaches international management at the Munich University of Applied Sciences—has spearheaded the creation of a wide-ranging campaign called “DACH Against Hate.” Backed by the German-Israeli Society, Jewish communities, several well-known personalities, and more than 200 organizations across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the initiative aims to collect at least 100,000 signatures for an online petition. The petition calls for stricter laws, better education to combat antisemitism, and increased protection and support for Jewish institutions. Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Jewish Community in Munich and Upper Bavaria, serves as the group’s patron. A major demonstration is planned in Munich on October 5, just two days before the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the current war.
As Germany grapples with this latest episode of antisemitism, the message from leaders, activists, and ordinary citizens alike is clear: history’s darkest chapters must never be repeated. The Flensburg incident, while deeply disturbing, has prompted a renewed commitment to vigilance, education, and action. Whether these efforts will be enough to stem the tide of hate remains to be seen, but for now, Germany’s resolve is on full display.