An antisemitic postcard was delivered to Ali’s Cookies in Emory Village on Sat., Feb. 24. The postcard does not appear to have been processed through the U.S. Post Office, so it may not have been mailed.
Israeli shop owner Nofar Shablis said her husband, Sagi, was handed a stack of mail by a U.S. postal worker when he noticed the postcard. One side of the postcard is a drawing of Anne Frank, the young diarist murdered at Bergen-Belson concentration camp during the Holocaust, with a speech bubble that reads, “So much fun!” On the other side a handwritten message reads, “Is there a child rape, torture and murder tunnel under your store? We have the Zyklon B. Use discount code ‘GAS THE JEWS’ to save 10% on your order.”
The message is referring to tunnels found under Gaza being used to hide kidnapping victims during the Israel-Hamas War. Zyklon B. is a chemical agent that was used to execute Jews in concentration camps.
“When we received the postcard, it was shocking. I don’t have any words. It’s like we went back 90 years, you know? Who does that?” Shablis said.
The postcard is produced by Patriot Candle Company, known for inflammatory, antisemitic mailings. The company offers an online service to complete the postcard and mail it. Patriot’s website states, “These are mailed out with postcard postage, so no tracking will be available.”
Ali’s Cookies has already been experiencing anti-Israel sentiment. Shablis told Rough Draft that at least 10 times since October – an average of nearly once per week – a customer has walked in, looked at the Israeli flag hanging by the register, and walked back out. Some say nothing, some mutter under their breath.
Shablis said DeKalb County Police took a report over the phone. DKPD has not yet sent a copy of the report to Rough Draft. Shablis also contacted the Anti-Defamation League and the FBI, but as of Monday morning none of the parties have followed up with next steps.
Shablis said she plans to increase her personal security.