After uproar, Kyrgyzstan hotel removes sign barring entry to ‘Jews and animals’

A sign saying that “Jews and animals are not allowed” was removed from a hotel in the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan after widespread condemnation, according to Israel’s ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic.

Ambassador Yoav Bistritsky said Tuesday that the matter had been resolved by local officials.

“I welcome the swift action by the authorities in Kyrgyzstan to remove the antisemitic and offensive sign and to open a criminal investigation against those responsible,” Bistritsky wrote on X.

“Such hatred has no place in any society. I will continue to follow the matter closely.”

A day earlier, the embassy posted a photo of the sign at the Villa Hotel on X, calling it an “openly antisemitic and offensive statement.”

The sign included warnings in Kyrgyz, Russian, and English, with images of a Star of David and a dog.

The Embassy of the State of Israel to the Republic of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz Republic strongly condemns the appearance of a sign in one of the hotel in the city of Osh in Kyrgyz Republic containing openly antisemitic and offensive statement. pic.twitter.com/iHCUEuqr7n

— Израиль в Кыргызстане (@IsraelinKg) April 20, 2026

The hotel is listed on Booking.com. In September last year, the website dropped two hotels that refused to accept Israeli guests.

In November 2024, it removed a hotel in northern Italy because it would not accept a reservation from an Israeli couple, with the manager accusing Israeli people of being “responsible for genocide,” a reference to the war in the Gaza Strip.

Approximately 400 Jews are believed to live in Kyrgyzstan, a country of 7.4 million people, according to data from the World Jewish Congress. Israel has had diplomatic relations with the country since 1992.