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Zara Apologises For Selling Striped "Star Of David" Children's T-Shirt

The clothing retailer apologises for a design that looks like the uniform Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust.

Earlier today, negative comments began to build on social media regarding this T-shirt design.

Hi @ZARA, this is not real, right? http://t.co/tIV6kguwOD

What a MASSIVE fail by @ZARA... seriously?!? via @yairba

Someone at @zara skipped all the classes on WWII. STRIPED "SHERIFF" T - SHIRT - - http://t.co/urj9TqJlSB

The Times of Israel reports:

From the Depths, a nonprofit that works to preserve unmarked graves and repurposed gravestones of Jews killed in Poland, posted a condemnation of the chain on Twitter and sent the company a strongly worded letter and subsequently spoke to the management by phone.

In the phone conversation, From the Depths head Jonny Daniels was promised that sale of the shirt would end immediately.

The company has now also apologised on Twitter, and the garment is no longer viewable online.

@eylanezekiel We honestly apologize, it was inspired by the sheriff’s stars from the Classic Western films and is no longer in our stores

However, there has been further controversy over the use of language in the apology from Zara's Israeli office.

The statement said the shirt would be "exterminated", and, according to 972mag, "used the exact [Hebrew] word to describe the Nazi genocidal practices."

The company has faced similar complaints before. The Jewish Press reports:

In September 2007, the fashion chain was forced to withdraw a line of handbags from its stores in Britain after it was pointed out the design featured Nazi swastikas. The bag had been produced in Asia, however, where the symbol also carries ancient cultural significance.