A sign declaring a “Jew-Free Zone” outside a shoe store in Stockholm, Sweden, sparked widespread condemnation, with Israel’s ambassador and Jewish advocacy organizations denouncing its use of language associated with Nazi persecution of Jews, i24NEWS reported.
The sign was placed outside the business by Dan Park, a Swedish artist known for provocative public displays and previous convictions involving works deemed racist.
According to Swedish media reports, the store had already displayed a notice stating that Israelis were not welcome. Park subsequently erected a second sign nearby, replacing the reference to Israelis with an explicit exclusion of Jews.
Park maintained that his intention was to expose what he viewed as the discriminatory nature of the store’s original policy by drawing a parallel between excluding Israelis and excluding Jews.
However, the display prompted outrage after photographs circulated on social media, particularly because the wording recalled the Nazi-era term Judenfrei, which referred to areas from which Jews had been expelled or eliminated.
Sacha Roytman, CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement, condemned the sign and its association with Nazi terminology.
“Europe, 2026. Have we learned nothing from history? The Nazis had a word for this: Judenfrei, meaning ‘free of Jews.’ It was used to describe places from which Jews had been expelled, deported, or murdered during the Holocaust. 81 years after the defeat of Nazi Germany, we are seeing this language displayed in a European shop window,” said Roytman.
He added, “And right next to it? A sign proudly declaring an ‘Apartheid Free Zone.’ This is what happens when hatred of Israel becomes a justification for openly targeting Jews.”
“This is not criticism of Israel. This is the normalization of Nazi antisemitism under the disguise of political activism. Yet here we are, watching the language of the 1930s return to the streets of Europe. History is not repeating itself by accident. It is repeating itself because too many people are choosing to look away?” concluded Roytman.
Israel’s ambassador to Sweden, Tammy Rahamimoff-Honig, also denounced the incident, emphasizing that Park’s stated intentions did not lessen the severity of displaying such a message.
Following the criticism, the shoe store’s owner removed both signs.
The controversy came amid continuing concerns about antisemitism in Sweden.
In April 2025, Nazi flags were displayed above a highway tunnel in Stockholm on Adolf Hitler’s birthday, prompting a police investigation and condemnation from Israel’s ambassador.
The city of Malmö has also faced longstanding concerns over antisemitism, with Jewish residents reporting incidents of harassment and attacks over the years.
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