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Polish websites found to be selling mugs displaying grotesque antisemitic stereotypes

Jewish groups have expressed their outrage at a number of Polish websites that have been found to be selling mugs featuring a well-known antisemitic image.

The mugs display caricatures of Jews with hunched shoulders and grotesque hooked noses who smirk malevolently while rubbing their hands. Critics have been quick to point out that they look similar to the well-known antisemitic “smirking merchant” meme.

The mugs are being sold in order to promote Teodor Jeske-Choiński’s book Poznaj Żyda (Meet the Jew), which describes Jews as a “parasitic tribe”.

First published in 1912, the book is now coming out in a new edition published by far-right media group Magna Polonia. The front cover of this new edition depicts this stereotyped Jewish figure in numerous forms, including a communist, a journalist, and an activist for LGBTQ rights, suggesting that a sinister cabal of Jews are secretly working behind the scenes in these ways, which is a classic antisemitic canard.

With antisemitism increasing worldwide, Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents globally.

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Lufthansa apologises after apparently barring all Jewish passengers from flight due to mask dispute with some Jewish passengers

Lufthansa has apologised after apparently barring all visibly Jewish passengers from a flight due to a mask dispute with a few passengers who happened to be Jewish.

It was reported that there was a dispute between staff managing the boarding of flight LH1334 from Frankfurt to Budapest on 4th May and some visibly Jewish passengers, reportedly over the wearing of masks. The pilot then apparently decided that no visibly Jewish passengers were to be allowed on to the flight, regardless of whether they were part of the same group or were prepared to wear a mask.

A video was recorded appearing to show a member of the airline’s ground staff explaining to a passenger that he was being prevented from boarding because he was Jewish.

The Jewish passengers were predominantly American and many had flown from New York in order to visit the grave of a Hasidic rabbi. Around 100 passengers were affected.

The German airline apologised and said that it was investigating the incident, which has caused an uproar in the Jewish world.

In a statement, the airline said: “Lufthansa regrets the circumstances surrounding the decision to exclude the affected passengers from the flight, for which Lufthansa sincerely apologises. While Lufthansa is still reviewing the facts and circumstances of that day, we regret that the large group was denied boarding rather than limiting it to the non-compliant guests. We apologise to all the passengers unable to travel on this flight, not only for the inconvenience, but also for the offense caused and personal impact.

“Lufthansa and its employees stand behind the goal of connecting people and cultures worldwide. Diversity and equal opportunity are core values for our company and our corporate culture. What transpired is not consistent with Lufthansa’s policies or values. We have zero tolerance for racism, antisemitism and discrimination of any type. We will be engaging with the affected passengers to better understand their concerns and openly discuss how we may improve our customer service.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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“What’s wrong with you people?” Tesco staffer allegedly asks prominent Jewish community figure in supermarket row

A prominent Jewish community figure has alleged that a Tesco staffer asked him “What’s wrong with you people?” in a row in a supermarket.

On 5th May, the victim, who is visibly Jewish, reached into the kosher fridge at the Brent Cross branch of Tesco and alleges that a male staffer who appeared to be in his 50s began shouting in an aggressive manner. The worker was on his knees vacuuming the lower half of the fridge, while wearing large headphones. He is alleged to have suddenly stood up, removed his headphones, turned off the machine, and shouted: “What’s wrong with you people, can’t you see I’m working here. Are you stupid or dumb?” and other comments.

It is believed that he was annoyed that the victim had reached into the fridge while he was working, despite a barrier apparently being located in the centre of the aisle rather than at the fridge.

The victim said in a low tone: “I only wanted the houmous,” and asked, “Why are you getting so aggressive?” as he walked away. The staffer allegedly continued to shout as customers looked on. He allegedly said: “You people know all about what you did to Jesus.” 

The victim asked: “Is that supposed to be an antisemitic comment?” The staffer allegedly replied: “Oh grow up, just grow up.”

Another staffer reportedly gently moved the victim away from the fridge and said that it was not right what his colleague had said. Another young female employee, however, allegedly shouted at the victim: “Yea, look at him, he is so aggressive, just look at him.”

The victim asked for her name but she allegedly shouted: “I’m not giving it to you,” and walked away.

A complaint has been filed with Tesco’s head office, but although the victim was reportedly assured that the store manager would contact him within 24 hours, he says that he did not hear anything. He subsequently filed a complaint with the police.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101, quoting reference number: 2411374/22, CAB 3923 09-05-22.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2020 showed that three in five British Jews believe that the authorities, in general, are not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.

Image credit: David Howard

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Apple to prevent photographs from Holocaust-related sites from automatically being added to albums

Technology giant Apple is imposing tight new restrictions on users who want to take photographs of Holocaust-related sites and make them part of photo albums.

A new software update means that photos taken at Holocaust sites like the Anne Frank House and Auschwitz will no longer be included in automatically-generated albums created in the company’s signature app, Photos, in order to avoid “creating some unwanted memories”.

Users will not be able to disable Apple’s “sensitive locations” function, but will be able to include the images in albums they make themselves.

The aim, according to the company, is to avoid the trivialisation and minimisation of the Holocaust that occurs when photo-takers make images of themselves acting or dressed inappropriately in places commemorating the genocide of the Jewish people.

Apple’s list of sensitive locations includes the Yad Vashem Memorial in Israel, the Dachau concentration camp, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Berlin Holocaust Memorial, the Schindler Factory in Krakow, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, and the Belzec, Chelmno, Treblinka and Sobibor Nazi death camps in Poland.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Software that presents users with photographs and videos of happy memories is probably not the best place for people to be reminded of their solemn visits to locations where the genocide of the Jewish people took place or where it is commemorated. However, some might say that these mementos should not be forever hidden away from us lest they upset us. Ultimately users will know what they want. We recognise that it is a tricky balance and feel that Apple should be applauded for acknowledging the issue and taking action, which is more than can be said for other platforms.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Basingstoke couple launch campaign to remove swastikas and other hate tattoos free of charge

A couple from Basingstoke have set up an initiative to remove swastikas and other extremist tattoo images from clients’ bodies free of charge.

Hayley Allen and Richard De’Ath from Cliddesden, laser practitioners who reside just south of Basingstoke, said that they wanted to help people who got hate tattoos by mistake and do not want them anymore.

Ms Allen, of the Hayley Aesthetic & Laser Studio, told Campaign Against Antisemitism that the initiative was “A great opportunity to give people the chance to get rid of mistakes”.

Whilst Ms Allen initially felt “A bit anxious about it because of the subject,” she has been heartened to receive positive responses to her announcement.

Ms Allen said that when asked by a man to remove his swastika tattoo, she said: “I’m very used to dealing with people from all sorts of backgrounds so not a lot shocks me, and if something did shock me, it’s just about not letting that be seen.

“He was embarrassed by it, and he’s an older guy now…I think it was a younger, stupid mistake.”

Ms Allen continued: “I’m not very judgmental of people, and I do believe that everyone should have the option to change any mistakes that are made. I wasn’t shocked, I wasn’t disgusted or insulted or anything. And that again is why we decided to do the campaign. We want people to have the option to change and I’m not going to discriminate against them.”

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Amazon should be no place for antisemitic incitement but retailer still has not removed “From the river to the sea” products from sale

Amazon is selling “Palestine Intifada Clothing” that displays antisemitic slogans and inflammatory images.

The online behemoth suggests that items in the range make for a “great gift for family and friends,” including a sweatshirt bearing a machine gun and hoodies with the Star of David crossed out, and clothing emblazoned with the phrase: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

The chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a State of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Other garb also promotes the BDS boycott of Israel, the tactics of which an overwhelming majority of British Jews find intimidating.

Prices for the items on Amazon range from £15.99 for tank tops and T-shirts, to £33.99 for unisex hoodies.

We have written to the company, but the clothing range remains available.

Last month, Amazon Australia reportedly pulled twenty Nazi propaganda films from the platform, with the US site also removing 23 films. Last year, Amazon removed almost a hundred Holocaust-denial books from sale, and the company has also come under fire in relation to its Alexa virtual assistant. In 2020, T-shirts and other items claiming that “6 million wasn’t enough” were briefly being sold on Amazon.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The chant of ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a State of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the international definition of antisemitism. Images of maps with the Jewish state erased only reinforce the genocidal sentiment behind the slogan. Amazon should make clear that its marketplace is no place for antisemitic incitement and remove these products from sale.”

Image credit: Amazon

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Henry Ford’s antisemitic tract The International Jew is still available for purchase on WH Smith’s website, even after retailer promises to remove it

Henry Ford’s antisemitic tract, The International Jew: Jewish Influences in American Life, is still available for purchase on WH Smith’s website, even after the retailer promised to remove it.

We wrote to WH Smith, observing that “There is no disclaimer on your website explaining the antisemitic contents and history of the book. First published in the early 1920s, the book claimed that a vast Jewish conspiracy was infecting America and fuelled antisemitism there and around the world. 

“Adolf Hitler was known to keep copies of The International Jew in his office. While Ford later publicly apologised for the book, antisemites continue to use his name to promote it. 

“The basis for the book was the antisemitic hoax known as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion — which we have previously found for sale by your franchisees — it purported to be the minutes of a meeting of Jewish leaders, at which they supposedly discussed their plans for global domination. It was used by the Tsar’s secret police and later by the Nazis to justify brutality against Jews.”

WH Smith replied that “We have filters to remove these types of books from links to our third party fulfilment so I’m not sure how it got through. This book will be removed tomorrow.”

However, within a week, the book was again available on the website, and now, one month later, it is still available for purchase.

In the past, WH Smith has removed The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, as well as editions of Mein Kampf, from sale, following contact from Campaign Against Antisemitism, but other material, including books and DVDs by the antisemitic hate preacher David Icke, remained available for purchase.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We are not asking WH Smith for much, we’d just like them to stop selling some of the most notorious anti-Jewish propaganda used by the Nazis mixed in amongst holiday reads and self-help books. We’ve caught the retailer selling Mein Kampf as an airport bestseller before, and now they’re selling Henry Ford’s infamous tract inciting Jew-hatred. They promised to remove it but now it’s sneaked back onto their website. So often we see gigantic corporations investing heavily in PR to promote their social responsibility agenda, but they talk the talk but fail abjectly to walk the walk.”

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Blackwell’s removes antisemitic Protocols of the Elders of Zion after implying in the book’s synopsis that it may not be a fiction

The leading booksellers, Blackwell’s, has removed an edition of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion from sale after outrage arising not only from the sale of the antisemitic tract but the synopsis on the website that suggested that the fraudulent work might not be fictional.

The synopsis suggested that the book – which purports to be the minutes of a meeting of Jewish leaders, at which they discussed their plans for global domination – might be genuine, and that the website “neither supports nor denies the message” of the book.

The synopsis questioned whether “the issue has already been settled conclusively — that it is clearly a forgery. Although there may be final evidence to this effect, we have not seen a clear and convincing version of it produced by those making the claim. Others maintain that it was and is absolutely genuine.” It continued: “If The Protocols are a forgery, they still form an interesting book which deserves to be studied. If, however. The Protocols are genuine (which can never be proven conclusively), it might cause some of us to keep a wary eye on world affairs. We neither support nor deny its message, we simply make it available for those who wish a copy.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism reacted to the listing, saying: “It is bad enough that Blackwell’s is selling the notorious fraudulent Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Worse, the reputable bookseller has demonstrated grotesque ignorance in providing a synopsis that implies that the forgery may in fact be genuine. Blackwell’s must not only remove this antisemitic tract from sale but must apologise for publishing such a dangerous description and explain how on earth it came to appear online.”

After hundreds of complaints online and outrage from Campaign Against Antisemitism and other groups, Blackwell’s published a statement saying: “We have refrained from commenting publicly because we did not wish to give the oxygen of publicity to this title, but given the volume of comments on this situation, we feel that we must now comment.” The statement added that “the description that appeared for this book was an automatic feed from the publisher. It was neither written nor endorsed by us.”

The bookseller explained that it is standard practice in online bookselling to use synopses provided by publishers, and that, given that there are eighteen million books on the website, it is not possible to review each entry manually. “However, as soon as this was brought to our attention, we replaced the description with one which expressed our complete and utter condemnation of the contents.”

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Kosher restaurant in New Jersey bombarded with anti-Israel comments and coordinated negative reviews

A kosher eatery in Teaneck, New Jersey has attracted a barrage of anti-Israel comments and negative online reviews, including claims that its cuisine was “stolen”.

The culinary battleground emerged after Yalla, a kosher eatery located on a quiet street in Teaneck NJ, was targeted. Yalla seems to have provoked particular anger due to its name as Yalla is an Arabic word but widely used in Israel to mean “let’s go.”

According to Israeli owner Jacob Goldberg, Yalla had received a number of politically-motivated negative reviews in recent years from people who claimed that he “stole” the name, “stole” their land or “stole” the food.

Most of the time, said Mr Goldberg, he simply alerted Google and asked for reviews to be removed. He explained that “where it’s very obviously hate-speech,” the reviews come down but “if it’s food-related, such as ‘I found a hair in my food,’” even though it was posted by “someone from Damascus” who had “obviously never been to my restaurant,” the review stays. Mr Goldberg decided, therefore, on a new tactic. He responded to a review that led the “critic” to use social media to call on anti-Israel users to pile on and place negative reviews.

Mr Goldberg believes there were at least 300 negative reviews posted in one evening, some of which also included Palestinian flags and the words “Free Palestine.” As well as claiming that Yalla served “stolen Palestinian food” and that the menu was “cultural appropriation at it’s [sic] finest,” “reviews” claimed that it was “absolutely trash,” that food was “overpriced” and that it “steals the thoughts and the lands and serve you sh*t on a plate.”

One review wrote in capital letters: “DON’T GO THERE AND WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!”  

There was also a TikTok video in which a woman claimed that Yalla was “falsely advertising Palestinian, Middle Eastern food” adding: “They messed with the wrong people.… Free Palestine.”

Within hours of the campaign, Yalla’s rating had dropped from 4.6 stars out of a maximum of five stars to 3.85. It then dipped to below 3 stars.

“In real life, if you get attacked, you call 911 and the police respond,” said Mr Goldberg. “But if you get attacked online, nothing, nothing, nothing happens.” He added that “a five-year-old” could look at the reviews and recognise they were fake, but “Google, a multibillion-dollar company can’t flag something like this as fake” was, he said, “just pretty astonishing.”

According to Mr Goldberg, since news of the cyber attack broke, he had had a lot of support “from Jews who felt they had to come out and fight hate.” People had been dropping into Yalla to show support which felt “amazing.” But, in the “long term” he did not think that there would be much impact. “Many people think Google reviews are mostly fake anyway,” he noted, “especially” if the reviews were anti-Israel. “They trust the old-fashioned way” – reviews from friends and family.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

Image credit: JNS via Google Images

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Belgian-Israeli receives undelivered letter to Belgium after several months, with address rendered illegible by swastika and antisemitic insults

A Belgian-Israeli has, after several months, received back an undelivered letter originally sent to Belgium, with the address now rendered illegible by swastika and antisemitic insults.

The letter, addressed to the sender’s notary in Anderlecht in August 2021, arrived in Belgium a few days after being posted in Israel, but has been sent back to Israel almost three-and-a-half months after arriving in Belgium due to an “insufficient/incorrect address”. However, the envelope had clearly been altered with a swastika and the phrase “J F***”.

The sender has reportedly asked the Israeli post office to file a complaint against its counterpart, BPost, and has contacted the Israeli Embassy in Brussels and communal Jewish groups.

A spokesperson for BPost said that an internal investigation was under consideration but that the company “does not have sufficient elements for the moment.” The spokesperson added: “It goes without saying that we will do everything possible to shed light on this matter and that we are ready to take the appropriate measures to defend the values that we hold dear and that make up our identity. This kind of behaviour is not aligned with our values of diversity and inclusion, as well as our work rules, and we strongly condemn it.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: EJP

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Chairman divests from start-up he founded after sending antisemitic e-mail, as company apologises, takes swift action and pledges “game-changing” support to local synagogue in masterclass in making amends

The chairman of a Utah-based technology start-up has divested his holdings after stepping down from the company he founded amid controversy over an antisemitic e-mail that he sent.

David Bateman, the founder, former CEO and, until recently, chairman of Entrata, a property management software company, reportedly wrote in an e-mail that Jews were behind the pandemic in a plot to exterminate billions of people. He subsequently doubled down on his comments.

His company asked him to resign and its CEO apologised for Mr Bateman’s remarks. Mr Bateman has also reportedly now divested from the company as well. In addition, the company met with the local rabbi to make amends.

Rabbi Sam Spector reported that he was met with genuine contrition from the company and received a six-figure pledge from Entrata to complete his synagogue’s fundraising campaign, which will enable the institution to purchase a new boiler and repair damaged Torah scrolls.

Rabbi Spector said: “My synagogue is falling apart, basically. The building is 50 years old. The bathrooms, seating and even the prayer books haven’t been replaced in decades. The total for the boiler alone, crucial during Utah winters, came to $150,000. They said, ‘We’re going to take care of all that for you,’ and they made the largest donation we’ve ever seen.”

In his e-mail, Mr Bateman reportedly wrote: “I believe the Jews are behind this. For 300 years the Jews have been trying to infiltrate the Catholic Church and place a Jew covertly at the top. It happened in 2013 with Pope Francis. I believe the pandemic and systematic extermination of billions of people will lead to an effort to consolidate all the countries in the world under a single flag with totalitarian rule. I know, it sounds bonkers. No one is reporting on it, but the Hasidic Jews in the US instituted a law for their people that they are not to be vaccinated for any reason. I pray that I’m wrong on this. Utah has got to stop the vaccination drive. Warn your employees. Warn your friends. Prepare. Stay safe.”

In a comment to a radio station sent by text message, Mr Bateman apparently echoed the assertions made in his e-mail, writing: “Yes. I sent it. I have nothing but love for the Jewish people. Some of my closest friends are Jews. My heart breaks for their 2500 years they’ve been mistreated by nearly every country on earth. But I do believe Scottish Rite Freemasons are behind the pandemic (overwhelmingly Jewish).” He added: “And I fear billions of people around the globe right now are being exterminated.”

He insisted that the e-mail reflected his personal opinion and was intended for a few friends only, even though the recipients included high-profile individuals in the state.

Entrata’s CEO, Adam Edmunds, tweeted: “Entrata’s board of directors today asked Dave Bateman to resign from the company’s board of directors, including his position as chairman. Dave agreed and is no longer a member of the Entrata board, effective immediately.” He also said that Mr Bateman’s opinions are “his alone and do not reflect the views or values of Entrata,” adding: “To be absolutely clear, we at Entrata firmly condemn antisemitism in any and all forms.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “No self-respecting company can tolerate a chairman who believes that the pandemic is a global plot orchestrated by ‘the Jews’ to exterminate billions of people and enslave the world. If reports about David Bateman’s comments and lack of remorse are accurate, Entrata is right to remove him from its board. It is rarely easy to sever ties with a founder, but sometimes it is.

“Entrata’s efforts to make amends are a masterclass in how to deal with a scenario such as this. If only all technology companies and other institutions were so sincere and proactive.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Founder of Utah tech company resigns after claiming COVID-19 vaccine is a plot by “the Jews” to exterminate people

The founder of a technology company based in Utah has resigned after reportedly sending an e-mail describing the COVID-19 vaccine as part of a plot by “the Jews” to exterminate people.

David Bateman, who previously served as CEO and until this week as chairman of Entrata, a property management software company, reportedly wrote in an e-mail: “I believe the Jews are behind this. For 300 years the Jews have been trying to infiltrate the Catholic Church and place a Jew covertly at the top. It happened in 2013 with Pope Francis. I believe the pandemic and systematic extermination of billions of people will lead to an effort to consolidate all the countries in the world under a single flag with totalitarian rule. I know, it sounds bonkers. No one is reporting on it, but the Hasidic Jews in the US instituted a law for their people that they are not to be vaccinated for any reason. I pray that I’m wrong on this. Utah has got to stop the vaccination drive. Warn your employees. Warn your friends. Prepare. Stay safe.”

Mr Bateman, who was also a one-time prominent figure in state politics, was asked by the board to step down as chairman of the company that he founded.

In a comment to a radio station sent by text message, Mr Bateman apparently echoed the assertions made in his e-mail, writing: “Yes. I sent it. I have nothing but love for the Jewish people. Some of my closest friends are Jews. My heart breaks for their 2500 years they’ve been mistreated by nearly every country on earth. But I do believe Scottish Rite Freemasons are behind the pandemic (overwhelmingly Jewish).” He added: “And I fear billions of people around the globe right now are being exterminated.”

He insisted that the e-mail reflected his personal opinion and was intended for a few friends only, even though the recipients included high-profile individuals in the state.

Entrata’s CEO, Adam Edmunds, tweeted: “Entrata’s board of directors today asked Dave Bateman to resign from the company’s board of directors, including his position as chairman. Dave agreed and is no longer a member of the Entrata board, effective immediately.”

He also said that Mr Bateman’s opinions are “his alone and do not reflect the views or values of Entrata,” adding: “To be absolutely clear, we at Entrata firmly condemn antisemitism in any and all forms.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “No self-respecting company can tolerate a chairman who believes that the pandemic is a global plot orchestrated by ‘the Jews’ to exterminate billions of people and enslave the world. If reports about David Bateman’s comments and lack of remorse are accurate, Entrata is right to remove him from its board. It is rarely easy to sever ties with a founder, but sometimes it is.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Signed photo of Hitler and other Nazi memorabilia and antisemitic items up for sale in Queensland auction

A signed photo of Hitler and other Nazi memorabilia, as well as an antisemitic children’s book, are up for sale in an auction in Queensland, Australia.

The sale, which also includes sunglasses worn by senior Nazi figure Hermann Goering, is being carried out next week by Danielle Elizabeth Auctions, which was condemned a year ago for selling a Nazi flag and earlier this year for auctioning other Third Reich and Holocaust items.

According to the auctioneers’ own website, the German book on sale (Trust No Fox on his Green Heath and No Jew on his Oath) is “one of the most contentious pieces of propaganda in modern history” and “teaches children, according to the Nazi Party in Germany, what a Jew is and what they look like.”

The Managing Director of the auction house, Dustin Sweeny, reportedly said that the sale is not illegal and “certainly not antisemitic,” adding: “we sell history and historical artefacts that tell a story that the world should never stop telling so history does not repeat itself.” He complained of receiving death threats over past auctions of Nazi items. He went on to say: “Remember we live in a free democracy, and as much as you believe these items should not be sold, we believe they should, and everyone should respect everyone else’s right to a different opinion.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts.

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Online shop in Ukraine removes “Holocoste” sweatshirt after complaints

An online shop in Ukraine has removed a sweatshirt from its website that parodies the brand Lacoste with the word “Holocoste” after receiving complaints.

Action came about after Elina Katz, a Program Coordinator for Project Kesher in Ukraine, noticed the merchandise online. Members of the organisation then wrote a letter to the website and within two hours, the article of clothing had been removed.

Vlada Nedak, the Executive Director of Project Kesher Ukraine, said: “Our lawyer said to me, ‘Two hours, it’s too long. They should answer you in less than 30 minutes.’

“The next time I will know this better.”

In September, the Ukrainian Parliament passed a law banning “antisemitism and its manifestations”. Despite this, multiple Chanukah displays were vandalised across three cities in Ukraine during the festival of Chanukah.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts. 

Image credit: Screenshot from Project Kesher

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Peloton apologises after instructor quotes Shakespeare’s “liver of a blasphemous Jew” line in live workout

Peloton has apologised after an instructor quoted the phrase “liver of a blasphemous Jew” in a live workout.

The Halloween workout video, in which trainer Christine D’Ercole quotes the line from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, has been removed from the company’s library.

A spokesperson for Peloton said: “Peloton’s aim is to strengthen, support and uplift our diverse community and sometimes we fall short of that goal. We apologise that during one of our classes an instructor quoted a Shakespeare passage that included an antisemitic line. This was a mistake and the class has been removed from our library.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts.

Image credit: Jewish News

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“A tremendous degree of antisemitism exists here,” wrote Albert Einstein about American academia in rare letter being put up for auction

A rare letter being put up for auction reveals Albert Einstein’s concerns over antisemitism in American academia.

The 1936 missive, sent to Einstein’s friend Bruno Eisner, the Austrian Jewish pianist, when Eisner was staying in New York and considering a position in academia in the United States, is being put up for auction by the Jerusalem-based Kedem Auction House.

Einstein wrote in the handwritten letter: “A tremendous degree of antisemitism exists here, especially in academia (though also in industry and banking).”

The Nobel laureate elaborated: “Mind you, it never takes the form of brutal speech or action, but simmers all the more intensely under the surface. It is, so to speak, an omnipresent enemy, one that is impossible to see, and whose presence you only perceive.”

Einstein observed that “the assignment of positions is completely disorganized, so you find out about vacancies at any given location only through personal connections,” and revealed that his assistant was driven from the country by antisemitism and took a position in Russia instead.

Eisner went on to a career as a concert pianist and professor of music with positions at universities and music academies across the United States until his death in 1978.

The letter will reportedly be auctioned this week with a suggested price of NIS 40,000 (£9,600). Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Kedem Auction House

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Target removes books promoting antisemitic tropes and Holocaust denial after media watchdog campaign

One of the United States’ largest retailers has pledged to remove from sale books promoting Holocaust denial and antisemitism.

An exposé by media watchdog CAMERA revealed that Target, the eighth-largest retailer in the United States, had books for sale on Holocaust denial. After CAMERA flagged this to the retailer, the group was contacted by a Target representative to “apologise” for its “error in having these books available on Target.com.”

The representative said that Target had “removed the books” flagged by CAMERA and was “actively working” to ensure that such content was “not for sale” on the Target site in future.

The representative also stated that Target was “committed to diversity, equity and inclusion” and was “sorry for the disappointment and pain” that such material may have caused.

The business had “guidelines in place” for the books that it sells and had been made aware that several books had been “listed in error on Target.com” that “don’t meet” their content guidelines. These titles, said the representative, had been removed “immediately” and Target was working “to ensure all future content meets” its guidelines.

Although CAMERA expressed satisfaction on Twitter at Target’s speedy response, it claimed that some antisemitic material was still available on Target.com, including a French translation of the notorious Protocols of the Elders of Zion and The Turner Diaries, as well at least one Holocaust denial book in German.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd tells CAA that auctioning Nazi daggers “keeps the memory of what happened alive” and alarmingly gives no indication of stopping

Earlier this month, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to the Kent-based C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd to express our dismay over their auctioning of Nazi memorabilia, including an assortment of Third Reich daggers and busts and pictures of Hitler and his senior ministers.

Their two-day militaria online auction also featured plaques and medals, clothing, shoes, goggles, medical pouches, china, posters, toys and books, all from the Nazi era.

The auction house has since responded to our letter, and as well as giving us no indication that it intends to halt their selling of Nazi memorabilia, they have told us that the auctioning of the grotesque items “keeps the memory of what happened alive”.

Despite Campaign Against Antisemitism outlining our belief that such items belong in a museum instead of in the hands of collectors whose motivation for acquiring cannot be known, the auction house insisted that auctioning to private collectors can educate them in “the horrors of history”.

In an absurd justification, the auction house further stated that if the private auctioning of Nazi memorabilia were to cease, so too would society have to ban anything that ever related to the Second World War, including books, films and television programmes, adding that one would “need to never show another movie or anything set during this time period.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “C&T Auctioneers and Valuers are putting profit before ethics by participating in the trade of Nazi memorabilia. Respectable auction houses only sell such objects to museums and for academic purposes, whereas at C&T Auctioneers and Valuers anybody could buy them, even neo-Nazis. The ultimate shame is trying to convince Jews that selling Nazi daggers and portraits of murderers helps ‘keeps the memory of what happened alive’, a claim that would be laughable were it not so obviously laced with contempt and condescension. We condemn C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd’s decision to carry on auctioning these items.”

While C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd show no signs of ceasing the sale of Nazi memorabilia, Tennants auctioneers recently assured us that they will not put Nazi items up for auction again in future, after we contacted the auction house in connection with an auction of Third Reich items.

However, auctions of Third Reich items persist, including those recently hosted by Easy Live Auction.

Last month, a BBC Bargain Hunt expert apologised after it was revealed that Nazi memorabilia was due to be sold at his auction house. Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.

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CAA to write to C&T Auctioneers and Valuers over auction glorifying Nazi memorabilia

Kent-based C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd is hosting an auction with an array of Nazi memorabilia, including an assortment of Third Reich daggers and busts and pictures of Hitler and his senior ministers.

The two-day militaria online auction also features plaques and medals, clothing, shoes, goggles, medical pouches, china, posters, toys and books, all from the Nazi era.

We will be writing to C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd regarding the grotesque auction.

Recently, Tennants auctioneers assured us that they will not put Nazi items up for auction again in future, after we contacted the auction house in connection with an auction of Third Reich items.

However, auctions of Third Reich items persist, including those recently hosted by Easy Live Auction.

Last month, a BBC Bargain Hunt expert apologised after it was revealed that Nazi memorabilia was due to be sold at his auction house. Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.

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CAA writes to Amazon after company is reported to be profiting from book promoting Holocaust denial by far-right leader Mark Collett

Campaign Against Antisemitism will be writing to Amazon after it was reported that the online marketplace has cut a book deal with Mark Collett, the leader of far-right group Patriotic Alternative. 

Patriotic Alternative is known for its efforts to recruit youth to its white nationalist ideology. Previously, the far-right group published an online “alternative” home school curriculum condemned as “poison” and “hateful” and attempted to recruit children as young as twelve through livestreaming events on YouTube, according to The Times. 

It is led by the former head of the youth wing of the BNP, Mark Collett, who is reported to have dabbled in Holocaust denial, collaborated with the infamous American antisemite David Duke, and espoused antisemitic and racist views.

Mr Collett’s book, The Fall of Western Man, says that Adolf Hitler’s Nuremberg rallies would have been “something that one would have been proud to be a part of”, adding that “Those in attendance wore uniforms, looked healthy and were of good breeding stock.” He also said that “when it comes to the notion of white guilt, nothing is pushed more strongly” than the “alleged extermination of six million Jews at the hands of the German people”.

He continues: “The Holocaust has been elevated to a level of importance so great that it has its own worldwide day of remembrance, and a multi-million dollar industry exists to push the established narrative. The Holocaust industry churns out movies, books and television shows on a regular basis to ensure that the Holocaust is constantly kept in the collective mind of Western man.”

“Western man is also brainwashed and enslaved by notions of white guilt that stem from false historical narratives of his colonial past, slavery and the Holocaust,” Mr Collett writes.

The book’s website features reviews of the book, including one from David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Mr Duke said that the book was “An excellent and incisive work”, adding: “It’s a book I recommend to anyone who wants to understand the deeper mechanisms and processes that are leading to the ethnic cleansing of the European People from the civilisation which they created.”

According to The Times, Amazon is selling the book on its website for between £15 to £25 and has struck a deal with Mr Collett in which it receives 85% of the book’s earnings, despite its claim to not sell certain content including content that they determine is “hate speech” or other material they deem “inappropriate or offensive”.

Amazon has said: “As a bookseller, we believe that providing access to written speech is important, including books that some may find objectionable. We have policies that outline what products may be sold in our stores, and we invest significant time and resources to ensure our content guidelines are followed. We remove products that do not adhere to our guidelines.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism will be writing to Amazon to demand the book’s removal from its website, as well as an apology and for all proceeds from the book to be put towards Holocaust education programmes. 

According to Hope Not Hate’s report, Patriotic Alliance is “a racist far-right organisation with antisemitism at its very core. They aim to combat the ‘replacement and displacement’ of white Britons by people who ‘have no right to these lands’.” The group reportedly holds that “it is Jewish elites, particularly, who are orchestrating the ‘replacement’ of white Britons.”

Earlier this year, the far-right group was found to be using the social media platform Telegram to create neo-Nazi channels dedicated to sharing vile messages, antisemitic conspiracy theories and images glorifying Hitler. A report into Patriotic Alternative published last summer found that several members of the group engaged in Holocaust denial.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.

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“No Jew Jab for Oz” graffiti sprayed on IKEA store in Melbourne

Antisemitic graffiti has been discovered spray-painted on an IKEA store in Melbourne, Australia.

The shop, located in the suburb of Richmond, was reportedly defaced last Thursday with the words “No Jew Jab for Oz” and, on another wall, “No Jew Jab”.

It was noticed by a Jewish woman who reported the vandalism to Victoria Police. Richmond Council painted over the graffiti.

The Anti-Defamation Commission observed the “poisonous alliance” between anti-vaccination networks and antisemitic groups that are “feeding off each other’s conspiracy theories and wacky narratives.”

Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Anti-Defamation Commission

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Jim Curran, who has history of involvement in controversial conspiracy group, protests Puma with sign reading “Gaza is a Holocaust”

Controversial activist Jim Curran was spotted at a protest against Puma last weekend holding a sign reading “Gaza is a Holocaust”.

Mr Curran was participating in a protest on 18th September outside the Puma shop in London. The demonstration was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which a past investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism found was riddled with bigotry.

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

Mr Curran is a regular attendee at a group called Keep Talking, a group of far-right and far-left conspiracy theorists who come together to promote antisemitism.

Last year, Best for Britain, an influential activist group, apologised for tweeting a viral picture of Mr Curran attending an anti-racism rally in view of his links to the antisemitic group.

Image credit: Sussex Friends of Israel

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More auction houses continue to sell Nazi daggers, coins, medals, and clothing

For the second time in two weeks, Campaign Against Antisemitism will be writing to an auction house over the selling of Nazi memorabilia.

Earlier this month, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to Tennants auctioneers expressing dismay and outrage at the sale, which they have readily agreed not to replicate in future.

However, Easy Live Auction continues to sell an assortment of Nazi memorabilia that includes weapons, coins, medals, and clothing, which appears to amount to a staggering 172 lots.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “These items belong in a museum, not in the hands of sick collectors acquiring them from an auction house that stands to profit from these sales. We shall be writing to the auctioneers to inquire why they are offering for sale memorabilia and mementos from a genocide.”

Recently, a BBC Bargain Hunt expert apologised after it was revealed that Nazi memorabilia was due to be sold at his auction house.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.

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Tennants auctioneers pledges not to sell Nazi items in future after contact from CAA

Tennants has assured Campaign Against Antisemitism that they will not put Nazi items up for auction again in future, after we contacted the auction house in connection with an auction of Third Reich items last week.

In a message, Tennants auctioneers replied to us to say that “As a family business, our deep-rooted friendships with the Jewish community are our number one priority and I can confirm we are no longer handling or selling any such items.”

Tennants describes itself as “the UK’s largest family-owned fine art auctioneers, and a market leader with offices in North Yorkshire and London.”

The company was auctioning numerous Third Reich artefacts, including a tin of Third Reich machine gun magazines for £120-£180, a Third Reich SS Officer’s visor cap for £800-£900, a collection of Nazi medals for £100-£150, two Nazi Party badges for £100-£150, a “small quantity of German Third Reich related books” for £60-£80, various articles of Waffen-SS uniforms and a lot more.

Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to Tennants expressing dismay and outrage at the sale, which they have readily agreed not to replicate in future.

Recently, a BBC Bargain Hunt expert apologised after it was revealed that Nazi memorabilia was due to be sold at his auction house.

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Why on earth is this auction house selling Nazi medals, weapons, books, uniforms, badges, cutlery and other memorabilia?

Campaign Against Antisemitism will be writing to Tennants auctioneers over its sale of a trove of Nazi memorabilia, including medals, weapons, books, uniforms, badges and cutlery.

Tennants describes itself as “the UK’s largest family-owned fine art auctioneers, and a market leader with offices in North Yorkshire and London.”

As the company claims that it “has the knowledge and experience clients can trust,” it cannot rely on ignorance to explain how it has come to be selling numerous Third Reich artefacts, including a tin of Third Reich machine gun magazines for £120-£180, a Third Reich SS Officer’s visor cap for £800-£900, a collection of Nazi medals for £100-£150, two Nazi Party badges for £100-£150, a “small quantity of German Third Reich related books” for £60-£80, various articles of Waffen-SS uniforms and a lot more.

Recently, a BBC Bargain Hunt expert apologised after it was revealed that Nazi memorabilia was due to be sold at his auction house.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “These items belong in a museum, not in the hands of sick collectors acquiring them from an auction house that stands to pocket thousands of pounds from these sales. We shall be writing to the auctioneers to inquire why it is offering for sale memorabilia and mementos from a genocide.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.

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Ben & Jerry’s Chair accused of self-dealing as her institution is revealed to support groups that refuse to sign anti-terror clauses that would prohibit funds going to antisemitic terrorist groups

The Chair of the Board of ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Holdings Inc., is embroiled in a financial scandal alleged to involve antisemitic terrorist groups.

Anuradha Mittal, who has been Chair of Ben & Jerry’s since 2008, has a history of defending the antisemitic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and is claimed to be behind the company’s recent boycott of Jewish Israeli communities across the Green Line (the 1949 armistice line) as part of the BDS campaign.

However, Ms Mittal is now facing an allegation of self-dealing. A complaint by a watchdog to the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) alleges that Ben & Jerry’s charitable foundation, of which Ms Mittal is Vice President, donated over $100,000 between 2017 and 2018 to the Oakland Institute, where Ms Mittal is the Executive Director and allegedly the sole salaried employee.

According to IRS filings, Ms Mittal was paid a salary of $156,000 by the Oakland Institute over the same period that Ben & Jerry’s charitable foundation donated $104,000 to the California-based institution.

It is understood that part of the Ben & Jerry’s contribution funded the Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, a group that last year had its EU funding pulled after it refused to sign an ‘anti-terror’ clause in its funding contract that would bar it from diverting any of the EU’s funds to antisemitic genocidal terrorist organisations such as Hamas and Hizballah.

An overwhelming majority of British Jews find the tactics of the BDS movement—the campaign to boycott the Jewish state—intimidating.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist us with this project.

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Post Office worker demands Jewish man denounce Israel in order to receive biometric residence permit

A post office worker has reportedly demanded that a Jewish man denounce Israel in order to receive his biometric residence permit.

Johnathan Levartovsky, 30, is a new Israeli Jewish immigrant to the UK who was required by law to collect his permit in order to prove his legal residency in the country. The permit also contains a new immigrant’s national insurance number, enabling them to work and entitling them to public services. Mr Levartovsky has come to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa as a post-doctoral researcher in the chemical engineering department of a leading London university, where he will be funded by the Faraday Institute in the field of battery research.

On 5th July, less than a week after arriving in the UK, Mr Levartovsky visited the Post Office on Euston Road in King’s Cross to collect his permit and was reportedly treated with suspicion by the clerk, who, he claims, provided minimal assistance. He eventually asked the clerk why he was treating him “like a criminal”, to which the clerk reportedly responded that it was because he is a “criminal” and is “murdering Palestinians”.

He then told Mr Levartovsky that he would not provide him with service, and only after Mr Levartovsky begged him to give him his documents and was forced to assent to the clerk’s inflammatory opinions that the clerk provided the documents. Mr Levartovsky then told him that he is a racist and that he would report him.

The clerk refused to provide his name – and his colleague also declined to disclose it – but was reportedly in his forties or fifties and of Asian or Middle Eastern descent. He was the only male working in the post office at the time; his colleague, a woman, witnessed the exchange.

Mr Levartovsky has reported the incident to the police, who are investigating. He has also written to his local MP, Sir Keir Starmer, who is also the leader of the Labour Party.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We are appalled at the abuse that Mr Levartovsky has suffered. New immigrants have to navigate complex bureaucratic and logistical challenges and should be welcomed and supported in doing so, rather than subjected to abuse because of their race, religion or nationality. We urge the police to investigate and are in contact with the victim. We shall also be writing to the Post Office to investigate.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2020 showed that three in five British Jews believe that the authorities, in general, are not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.

Image credit: Google

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Hookah shop in Paterson, NJ removes antisemitic sign

A hookah shop in New Jersey has removed an antisemitic sign.

The sign on storefront of Clifton Hookah in Paterson, Passaic County, read “Stop The New Nazis” and featured a swastika in an Israeli flag and a photograph of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a Hitler moustache.

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

At first, the shop refused to take down the sign, but it is understood that it has now been removed.

The incident comes amid a spate of antisemitic violence across the United States.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: StopAntisemitism.org

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Krakow bans sale of antisemitic figurines depicting Orthodox Jews holding coins

Krakow has banned the sale of antisemitic figurines which depict Orthodox Jews holding coins.

The figurines, which have been sold for decades in Poland, are purchased because they are believed to be good omens for prosperity. However, they depict the antisemitic trope of Jewish people being obsessed with money.

The ban follows pressure from Polish Jews who campaigned for the sale of the figurines to be prohibited. Nevertheless, defenders of the practice of selling the figurines feel that the items represent a nostalgia towards Polish Jews.

Robert Piaskowski, the city’s alderman for cultural affairs, said of the figurines: “This figurine is antisemitic and it’s time for us to realise it. In a city like Krakow, with such a difficult heritage and a painful past, it should not be sold.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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WH Smith removes The Protocols of the Elders of Zion overnight from online sale but books and DVDs by antisemitic hate preacher David Icke are still available

WH Smith removed The Protocols of the Elders of Zion overnight last week from its online shop but continues to offer for sale several books and DVDs by the antisemitic hate preacher David Icke to remain on sale.

This comes despite Campaign Against Antisemitism writing to WH Smith last year after it was discovered that the retailer was selling Mein Kampf and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

At the time, WH Smith was quoted as saying that it has “strict guidelines on the books it sells, and it is against our policy to stock books which incite hatred. These books have been immediately removed from sale, and we are investigating how this has occurred with our wholesaler. We apologise sincerely for any offence caused.”

That was the third time that WH Smith had been caught selling Mein Kampf, with the book previously found to be on sale in branches in Jordan and Singapore.

However, WH Smith is now selling books and DVDs by Mr Icke.

Mr Icke uses social media, his books and his stage performances to incite hatred. His preaching is so absurd that since the 1990s he has been dismissed as a crank, but because he is dismissed, there has been no major opposition to him and he has built up a following of thousands upon thousands of disciples whom he has persuaded to adamantly believe that the world is in the grip of a conspiracy run by the “Rothschild Zionists”. His repertoire includes conspiracy myths and tropes classified as antisemitic according to the International Definition of Antisemitism, adopted by the British Government. Campaign Against Antisemitism has successfully persuaded some venues to pull out of hosting his events.

After years of pressure from Campaign Against Antisemitism, Mr Icke was banned from most social media platforms.

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U-Haul to investigate alleged denial of service to Jewish customer in Canada

U-Haul, the moving and rental company, is reportedly investigating the denial of service to a Jewish customer by one of its independent dealer locations in Canada.

The victim reported of the incident that the dealer mentioned to him that he was watching a video about the conflict between Hamas and Israel and said that his country is at war, to which the victim replied that his country is also at war. After being asked where he is from, the victim said that he is from Israel, as he has lived there in the past.

The victim then recounted that the dealer “took out his phone and started to film me and tell me my people are killing all his people” and “chased me out of his tractor trailer U-Haul location in the parking lot”, telling him that “I am never welcome to come back to his business”.

The victim described the incident as an antisemitic hate crime and has reported it to the police and local Jewish organisations.

In a statement, U-Haul reportedly said: “We are aware of the allegations about an independent small business that also serves as a U-Haul dealer location. Our local team was informed earlier today and is looking into the situation. U-Haul practices a policy of inclusion and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Judge agrees with unfair dismissal claim against Lidl after supermarket fired employee who brandished swastika tattoo to colleague

A judge’s decision has been criticised after he ruled in favour of a claimant claiming unfair dismissal against Lidl after the supermarket reportedly fired him for brandishing his swastika tattoo to a colleague.

Istvan Horvarth, the former caretaker at Lidl’s Telford Hadley branch in Shropshire, was said to have proudly displayed his tattoo whilst laughing. The Hungarian native also reportedly joked that it was “his country’s symbol.”  

The colleague who reported Mr Horvarth, referred to only as MB, was only on their second shift when Mr Horvarth approached him. They alleged that the swastika tattoo was surrounded by barbed wire, and that Mr Horvarth also had other far-right tattoos.

MB said: “[Mr Horvarth] exposed the top of his arm and shoulder and pointed to a tattoo of the swastika symbol. I thought it was disgusting for someone to brazenly show it as a proud symbol. I come from a military background so I was not impressed for that to be displayed so publicly in a company that promotes equality and the acceptance of people from different backgrounds.”

This led to a disciplinary hearing conducted by Andrew Shaw, the branch’s Area Manager, which then resulted in Mr Horvarth’s dismissal. Mr Shaw stated: “These are sensitive issues and I felt it was massively inappropriate for [Mr Horvarth to be] behaving this way. I felt that him showing the tattoos at work was damaging to Lidl’s reputation.”

When questioned, Mr Horvarth apparently claimed that the symbol was a “Buddhist peace symbol”, despite Lidl’s internal investigation confirming that it was indeed the Nazi symbol.

Judge Ian Miller, presiding in the case, concluded that the symbol was offensive, however he felt that a warning about uniform policy would have been more appropriate, and upheld Mr Horvarth’s accusation of unfair dismissal.

Despite stating that there was “beyond any sensible doubt that a Nazi swastika is offensive to most people for obvious reasons,” Judge Miller ruled in favour of Mr Horvarth, partly because he believed that Mr Shaw and branch boss Craig Taylor had already branded Mr Horvarth as a “troublemaker” and a “bully”. Judge Miller also felt that Mr Horvarth was not afforded an adequate opportunity to defend himself during his disciplinary hearing.

Mr Horvarth’s additional claim of race discrimination was denied.

Mr Horvarth is now awaiting compensation from the supermarket chain.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.

Image credit: Google

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Auction platform kicks off Montreal auction house for selling “utterly grotesque” Holocaust-related items

A Montreal-based auction house has been removed from an international auction platform after it was found to be selling offensive Holocaust-related items.

Madison’s Historical of Montreal was removed from the “Live Auctioneers” platform after items on sale – including used Zyklon B gas canisters which it described as “the holy grail” – were flagged up by the Toronto-based Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre (FSWC), which asked Live Auctioneers to take action.

Other items on sale by Madison’s included Nazi weapons and memorabilia and personal items belonging to concentration camp prisoners. In a statement to FSWC, Live Auctioneers said that all offensive Holocaust items had been removed.

Live Auctioneers said that it had suspended the auction house for violating several of its policies, including one which “limits the glorification of vile historical objects” and discourages the modern reproduction “of hateful items”. Madison’s Historical has taken down its website.

FSWC called the items “utterly grotesque” and an “insult to six million Jews who were murdered by the Nazi regime.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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T-shirts claiming Holocaust was “hoax” on sale on web-shop set up by Californian conspiracy theorist

T-shirts carrying antisemitic slogans such as the Holocaust was “a hoax” have been launched by a Californian conspiracy theorist.

The line of t-shirts and apparel is being sold on a web-shop by Jon Minadeo, who is part of a group known as the Goyim Defence League, which is responsible for stunts such as visiting a Chabad centre to claim that “these Jewish terrorists” were behind 9/11, and hanging a banner on a Los Angeles overpass reading “Honk if you know the Jews want a race war.”

The merchandise – advertised as “some fresh Goy Gear” – includes t-shirts carrying the virulently anti-Jewish “Happy Merchant” image and an antisemitic parody of The Godfather logo. Others refer to the Holocaust “hoax” or have pictures of Hitler. Apparel also features homophobic images and slurs.

In a message on the website, Mr Minadeo states that sales are to finance his tours, stating that “all proceeds” go to his “Name the Nose Tour”.

The domain registrar for the online shop, Namecheap, says that it is not responsible for the content, while the software used to build the website, WooCommerce, is open source.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

We are seeking to recruit a General Counsel an Executive Assistant and Events Manager to join our London office

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Campaign Against Antisemitism is a volunteer-led charity dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law. Everything that we do is done by people who volunteer their time, using donations contributed by members of the public. Join the fight against antisemitism by subscribing to our updates, volunteering, or donating.