Since the October 7th attack on Israel by the Hamas terrorist organization, anti-Semitism in Sweden has seen a significant surge. According to a joint opinion poll conducted by Infostat and Judiska Centralradet, the association of Jewish congregations in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo, and Northwest Sweden, over seventy percent of Sweden's Jewish community now feels significantly less safe in the country than before, the international V4NA news agency reports, citing a publication form Varlden Idag, a Swedish Christian newspaper.
The survey shows that only 15 percent of Jewish residents said that they would feel safe even if they wore Jewish symbols in public.
Among those expressing a heightened sense of insecurity in the past month, 86 percent cited that fear of incitement and harassment has increased, 64 percent mentioned a heightened fear of violence, while 51 percent expressed concerns about persecution, and 30 percent mentioned apprehensions about deadly violence.
"We speak Hebrew, but we've advised our 5 and 6-year-old children not to speak Hebrew in public places," mentioned one respondent, reflecting the palpable impact on daily life.
More than three in four believe that the security of individuals with a Jewish identity in Sweden will worsen in the coming years, with around half of respondents anticipating a significant deterioration. A majority has also expressed concern about potential exposure to anti-Semitism.
"I hide my Jewishness now, but if I were to talk about it openly, I'm convinced that I would be verbally accosted, and also physically attacked,
– said one survey respondent, while another revealed that it was the first time she had started to contemplate emigration.
The survey highlights that almost half of Sweden's Jewish population, 46 percent, has considered relocating, citing rising anti-Semitism as the primary reason.
However, they face the challenge of deciding where to go, given the increasing hatred and hostility towards Jews globally and Israel's ongoing military conflict with the Hamas terrorist organization.
57 percent of respondents believe that Swedish authorities are not aware of the nature and extent of anti-Semitism in Sweden. "Apparently, the media and politicians don't seem to grasp that this is an imported problem. Ninety-five percent of anti-Semitism originates from the Middle East and the left, yet the focus in media and politics remains on right-wing extremists, who constitute just 5 percent," one survey respondent said.
Magyar Nemzet has reported that in Sweden, just as in all Western European countries with a permissive immigration policy, the number of anti-Semitic crimes has increased in recent weeks. Due to the elevated threat following the Hamas attack on Israel, Gothenburg's Jewish community has asked its members to refrain from using Jewish symbols such as the Star of David and the kippah in public places, and to not speak Hebrew. The Swedish prime minister himself visited the synagogue in Malmo in October. Ulf Kristersson said in front of the prayer house of Malmo's Jewish community of barely four hundred people that
he is concerned about the flourishing anti-Semitism, while the synagogue spokesman told Swedish public television that families are worried, fearful of atrocities, and are already afraid to leave their children at school.
Following the premier's words of warning on the resurgence of anti-Semitism, the Swedish government admitted to having increased state aid to Jewish congregations by ten million kronor (nearly 900 thousand euros), clearly with the aim of improving the security within these communities. The commander of the law enforcement's national operations department also underlined that the grave situation Jews in Sweden are in.
Cover photo: Illustration (Source: Pexels)
