Stockholm shoe store displays 'Jew-free zone' sticker

Two stickers appeared on the front glass of a shoe store in central Stockholm on Saturday morning.

One label declared the business an 'Apartheid-free zone,' a phrase associated with the boycott movement against Israel. Next to it, a second sticker read 'Jew-free zone.' The word 'Jew' was printed in German inside a Star of David, a visual echo of the Nazi term Judenfrei. The shop owner removed both stickers after public backlash began to mount.

Dan Park, a Swedish street artist known for provocative public displays, posted images of the incident online. He identified himself as the person who placed the second sticker. Park had previously been convicted of incitement for using Nazi symbols. In his explanation, he called the new sign a 'blunt translation' of the true meaning behind the boycott campaign.

Ziv Nevo Kulman, Israel's Ambassador to Sweden, responded to the incident on social media. He stated that the discussion was abhorrent and demonstrated how normalized antisemitism has become. Kulman argued that there must be zero tolerance for antisemitism in any form. Sacha Roytman, CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement, also weighed in. He noted that decades after the defeat of Nazi Germany, the language of Judenfrei was appearing on European storefronts. Roytman said this trend occurs when hatred of Israel legitimizes direct attacks on Jews under the guise of political activism.

The incident drew sharp criticism on social media, with users directing their frustration toward the Swedish government. Many accused authorities of helplessness and silence. They demanded that elected officials take decisive enforcement measures against street hate rather than offering tepid condemnations.

Park has a history of similar provocations. In a previous incident, he placed a canister labeled 'Zyklon B' next to a swastika outside the Jewish Community Center in Malmö. In April of this year, he was convicted of incitement against a protected group.