At least four police complaints have been filed against the shop owner, who claims he “is not a Nazi”.
Jewish people have been barred from entering a shop in Germany by its pro-Palestine owner. Hans Velten Reisch, 60, put a small note in his store’s window on Wednesday, which read: “Jews are banned from here! Nothing personal. No antisemitism. Just can’t stand you.” The owner, who claims he is “not a Nazi”, has since had numerous police reports lodged against him.
Local authorities were made aware of the antisemitic sign on Wednesday evening.
Police spokesman Philipp Renoncourt told local media that it was removed “to prevent danger”. However, local residents claim that it has not been taken down but instead moved to a wall inside the shop. By Thursday morning, the windows of the shop had “Nazis out” written across them following the outrage the sign sparked throughout the town of Flensburg.
The town’s mayor, Fabian Geyer, responded to the incident: “This is a reminder of the darkest chapters of Germany’s history and has absolutely no place in the city.”
He said the sign was “a clear statement against Jews in our society”.
Kianusch Stender, Member of the State Parliament for the Social Democratic Party of Germany, added: “We are an open, colourful city that has a duty, based on its historical responsibility alone, to take a stand against anti-Semitism everywhere and at all times.”
Felix Klein, the Federal Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Antisemitism, highlighted the direct connections with the Nazi years, saying it is a “clear case of antisemitism”.
“We must intervene,” he told Welt TV. “This must not be tolerated in any way.”
Flensburg police confirmed that they had received four complaints against the shop owner. A spokesman said, “These are now being examined by the public prosecutor’s office for possible offences.”
Mr Reisch has since denied accusations that he is a Nazi or an extremist. The shop owner told the Fordé news media outlet that he is “a little to the left, a little to the right – but not radical,” adding, “I am not a Nazi.”
“I’m not inciting hatred; I’m just saying what I think,” he said. The shop owner criticised Germany’s policy towards Israel, explaining that he had stopped serving customers who he believed were supporting the war in Gaza.
He added, “I don’t need people like that here, neither in business nor in private.”
I don’t suppose it will be long before this man goes out of business.
I find all of this very sad, and undoubtedly, lessons have not been learnt from the Holocaust, and history is gradually repeating itself once again, and those Jews who came from the camps were tormented by their experiences for the rest of their lives.
My great-grandmother came from Romania and was fortunate enough to escape the pogroms but also lived through World War I and World War II – she died when she was 99 years old, so I was lucky enough to know her and understand what she must have had to go through.
I was born in Britain, and I was once proud to call myself British, but not so much now, although I wouldn’t leave the country that I was born in; however, I have never felt so afraid as I do now.
Refusing to do business with someone simply because of their religion, race, or political beliefs isn’t personal preference; it’s discrimination!
If you refuse to do business with people you don’t like, then you simply shouldn’t be in business.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 