RantCrush Top 5: August 15, 2017

Guests at a Swiss hotel were shocked to find a sign from the manager telling the “Jewish guests” to shower before swimming in the pool, or else they wouldn’t be allowed in the water. A second sign in the kitchen told “Jewish guests” only to access the freezer between 10 and 11 a.m. or 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. After pictures of the notes made it onto social media, people were outraged and the Israeli government demanded a formal condemnation from the Swiss government. It was “an anti-Semitic act of the worst and ugliest kind,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely.

“I have nothing against Jews … I may have selected the wrong words” says #Swiss hotel owner who posted this sign! https://t.co/vv4zN3oKPC pic.twitter.com/HQyuAYkniZ

— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) August 15, 2017

Hotel manager Ruth Thomann claimed it was all a misunderstanding. She claimed that all guests are required to shower before swimming and that she “wrote something naive” on the poster. She also attempted to explain the freezer issue–the hotel keeps a specific freezer for kosher food in the staff room. But despite Thomann’s seemingly unbelievable explanations, at least one Jewish rights group has called for the hotel to be closed and penalized, and the hotel is still being slammed for its antisemitic signage.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.