'It won't be long before Sweden Democrats show true anti-Semitic nature'
Far-right, anti-immigrant party won an unprecedented number of seats in recent elections; local Jewish leader warns its pro-Israel stance is just an expression of anti-Islam policy.
By Danna Harman Tags: Israel news Jewish worldIt will not be long before the true anti-Semitic nature of the far-right anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats (SD) party - which won an unprecedented number of seats in Sunday’s elections, is revealed - a leader of the local Jewish community there warned on Monday.
“This is a neo-Nazi party… articulate, and talented…but very dangerous,” said Lena Posner, President of the Official Council of Jewish communities in Sweden, an umbrella organization of Jewish groups in the country. “We know where these people are coming from. They are Nazi sympathizers who, under their jackets, are still wearing their brown shirts.”
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Demonstrators protest against election of the far-right Sweden Democrats party in Sunday's referendum, at Sergels torg in central Stockholm on Monday September 20, 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
Sunday’s elections showed Frederik Reinfeldt's Moderate-led alliance winning 173 seats in the 349-seat parliament and the Social Democrat led Left-Green coalition with 156 seats, which means there will probably be weeks of coalition talks before a new government, most likely a minority one, is formed.
But the big news in these elections - for a country which has long prided itself as being one of the most tolerant, liberal and progressive in Europe - was that SD won 20 seats, their first entry to the national parliament and a sure sign of changing times.
The previously marginal party, which just a few years ago was considered nothing more than a motley collection of racists and fascists on the fringe of society, ran a campaign focused on the need to cut immigration and featured ominous ads showing burka-clad Muslim women shoving aside white Swedish pensioners in order to take away their benefits.
The party’s leader, a clean-cut 31-year-old named Jimmie Åkesson, described Islam as Sweden’s biggest national security threat since the Second World War, and presented skewed statistics ostensibly to prove that immigrants were five times more likely than native Swedes to be convicted of rape.
Both of the bigger political blocs have ruled out working with the SD, which means it is highly unlikely Akesson will play any role as “kingmaker” or be part of any future government – but the party’s success is indicative of the growing resentment of immigration here, as elsewhere in Europe. One in seven residents in this once homogenous Scandinavian country are today immigrants.
In Holland, the Party of Freedom of Geert Wilders has held the balance of power since an election in June, while in Hungary the Jobbik party - alleged to be both anti-Roma and anti-Semitic by its opponents - won parliamentary seats last spring. Austria, France and Britain have also seen varying degrees of increased popularity for their far-right anti-immigrant national parties.
The SD did not include any anti-Semitic messages in its platform. On the contrary, it has two Jewish members among its top ranks and has actually come out in support of Israel at times. However, according to Posner, the vast majority of the approximately 20,000-strong Jewish community is nonetheless “devastated” by the results.
“Ninety-nine percent of the community are absolutely against everything this party is for. To be Jewish is to have values of humanism. We know what it means to have to flee and to survive and we strive to protect those who are persecuted,” she says. “But Sweden is now joining other Europeans in being xenophobic.”
Posner claims that the SD’s pro-Israel stance emanates from nothing more than a way to further battle the Muslim community, and has nothing to do with an affinity with the Jews or the Jewish homeland per se. “They love Israel because that sort of rhetoric is in tune with their hatred for Muslims. That’s it,” she says.
Posner points to two of the party’s platforms which, she argues, while calculated to be against Muslims, also show their “true colors,” as regards the Jewish community. The SD opposes male circumcision and would have it banned and also stand for the continuation of the 1940s ban on Schita in the country.
Sweden today is one of very few European countries to maintain a ban on ritual slaughter - necessitating the import of kosher or hallal meat from outside the country. The far-right party proposes not only to continue the ban, but also to ban importation of such meat.
David Landes, editor of the daily English language Stockholm online paper The Local has written about anti-Semitism in Sweden in the past and says the situation is a little more complicated as regards the far right and the Jews. He agrees with Posner that SD, “without a doubt” has its roots in the Swedish neo-Nazi movement, but argues that there is little indication they will ever turn their sights on the Jews.
“I do not equate this reformed Nazi party…with anti-Semitism per se,” he says. “It’s that Swedish brand of Nazism which is more about preserving the traditions and strength of the white Nordic race than about wanting to crack the skulls of Jews.”
And, while there have been an increasing number of anti-Semitic events in Sweden this past year – everything from desecration of a synagogue and a cemetery in the town of Malmo, to taunting of children with “Hitler” chants in Uppsala - Landes attributes these more to a growing anti-Israel sentiment, often coming from the Muslim community and the far left.
In fact, of the 79 anti-Semitic incidents which were reported to the police in 2009- twice as many as the previous year - more than half were blamed on radical elements from among the country’s Muslim population as well as extreme members of the far left, not far right.
Indeed, one member of the Jewish community - who did not want to be identified - said the reaction of the Jews to the SD was more nuanced than Posner would admit.
The Jewish community in Sweden, he said, has long been a liberal one, and so there is indeed disgust with the SD’s xenophobia and precious few voted for them. But on the other hand, he admitted, there are Jews also concerned with the rising number of Muslims in the country and some of the more extremist views expressed by some of them, and are thus conflicted.
“It’s a lose–lose situation” he said.
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As long as they claim to "support" Israel, the Jews in Israel - will for the most part - not care about their attitudes towards the local Jewish community. Just see how Israeli Jews - usually on the Right - treat U.S. groups with either no or ambivilant ties with the U.S. Jewish community. They don't care, as long as they are "pro-Israeli." Being "pro-" or "anti-" Jewish doesn't matter to many of them. Sad but true.
and good for us [like the old conflict between Zionists and Bund. History showed which party was right]
and good for us [like the old conflict between Zionists and Bund. History showed which party was right]
Israel has alienated the more moderate political elements world-wide through its human rights excesses. Now it has become dependent on the very zealots that go counter to Jewish values.
The Islamization of Sweden is a real problem - in some places in Malmö it's even a burning, urgent problem. Sky-high violent crime rates and ... wait for it... anti semitism! The SD is squarely a Jewish ally, and an Israeli ally, too, and Posner really doesn't represent the Jewish best interest in Sweden, when she comes out with declarations such as these.
Trying to manipulate Jews to get involved in a fight we have nothing to, do with. SD is concerned by Muslims, I can understand them. Let the Muslims fight their own fights.
First of all most of it is based on the notions of this Posner character, and her statements are not in any way as factual as they are implied to be. It is dishonest to say that a neo-nazi party received 5 % of the votes. SD has a racist background (ie anti-everyone, not just Jews) but this policy has been extremely toned down in the last decade or so. That is what enabled SD to get into parliament, the people who voted for SD did not vote for a neo-nazi party, they voted for a party that makes itself out to be political mainstream, but with a main focus on cutting back immigration substantially. I think SDs values are disgusting, but they are not running on a neo-nazi platform. Secondly the article fails to note that this election saw an anomaly in Swedish politics. The parties in parliament grouped themselves into two blocks, representing only two options for which parties that would form the government after the election. Traditionally Swedish parties have not done this but rather each party would conduct its own political campaign and after the election a coalition would be created which would form the government. This division into only two political camps has blurred the lines dividing the parties, almost creating a temporary de facto two-party system. This has generated a great deal of criticism. Surveys also indicate that SD received many votes from people unhappy with "the establishment". The article also fails to note the great backlash at SD:s recent success. Swedes in general are very opposed to SD:s policies, as are all the other parties. The other parties have expressed their sorrow that SD is now represented in the parliament and have stated that they will not cooperate with SD. There have also been demonstrations against SD in many Swedish cities. BTW the article should also note that the "ban on ritual slaughter" is in fact a law of animal protection. It simply says that animals should not be conscious while being slaughtered.
This article is the definition of true ignorance. Sweden Democrats is the only party in Sweden that supports Israel. Even the Ekeroth Brothers are jews. Don't give in to the hate and ignorance this article is spreading.
why is it wrong in Sweden to say out loud that the native Swedes have had enough and are fed up with rapes, crime and supporting immigrants, who have no will to work or to contribute constructively to the society, but there already are the fourth generation of immigrants living on social welfare, which burdens the tax-payers, whose benefits and services are cut so that the immigrants' free living can be financed? It alredy takes 38% of the Swedish state budget to finance their "free ride" and yet they show nothing but contemptuous attitude and behavior towards the natives and the society itself. They make no effort to learn and educate themselves, 60% are school drop-outs, who are not interested in making anything out of themselves and have no personal ambitions other than to live on off the generous subsidies Sweden gives to them. No rational person can say this is right. Obviously the Sverige Dems exposed the ugly, unbearble truth to the light and are now labelled as "racists" for it. But those, who voted for them want a radical change, which the main parties have refused to deliver. The self-denial lead to their loss and to the SD's victory. Their patronizing approach to real problems the immigrants cause in this following style: "we hear nothing, we see nothing and we say nothing", their inability to set boundaries to the unacceptable behavior and abuse of the welfare system are the reasons they lost and the SD won. I find it unfair of the main parties to now call the SD "racist" instead of pointing their accusing finger at themselves and at their own incompetence to deal rationally with the social ills, which have been spinning out of control, wreaking havoc in the Swedish society, for oh, so long.
I agree with Ky #9. Ms Posner should keep her mouth shut.. She is typical of so many so-called spokespeople for Jewish communities worldwide - who have nothing else to do but rubbish people in their homelands who simply want want their homelands back - to halt immigration, and to halt Islamism. Jews in Sweden and elsewhere are being seen as increasingly contentious, even though the writing is on the wall about the steady onslaught of Islamism - Malmo for example. Instead of respecting the Swedes' right to self-determination in their homeland, they choose to internalise a very weird psychosis, which frankly puts them at odds with everybody. They should be getting behind the Swedes, showing respect and some resilience against the Islamic onslaught on Europe. It's time now for world Jewry to remove the "Official Jews" who have become the enemy of Europeans in thier own European homelands, and Jews to whom the Swedish Democrats and other groups like them have shown nothing but respect and consideration, and a fair and listening ear towards Israel of which the Islamists and their lobbies are ferocious opponents. As a British Jew I salute the Swedes. God is with you.
... to see how the Jews, more hypocrisy, respond to countries that are anti-immigration -- Israel, the Jewish state, with the most anti-immigration policy the world has ever know, where not even convertnig to a Jew can get you in, only being born ... And love: "a motley collection of racists and fascists on the fringe of society, ran a campaign focused on the need to cut immigration." Now there's journalism; and let's face it, as bad as this collection may be, is there anywhere any twosome as bad as Netanyahu/Lieberman?
... to see how the Jews, more hypocrisy, respond to countries that are anti-immigration -- Israel, the Jewish state, with the most anti-immigration policy the world has ever know, where not even convertnig to a Jew can get you in, only being born ... And love: "a motley collection of racists and fascists on the fringe of society, ran a campaign focused on the need to cut immigration." Now there's journalism; and let's face it, as bad as this collection may be, is there anywhere any twosome as bad as Netanyahu/Lieberman?
Lena Posner is absolutely wrong. Putting the nazi label on SD is like branding social democrats as hardcore communists. The true extreme right in Sweden look upon SD as sellouts and traitors, and taunt them as being a zionist movement. By the way, I don't think the statistics on rape are skewed.
Wilders is fighting to preserve Western values and freedoms, which are currently under threat in Holland and elsewhere. Wilders is a great friend to the Jews and a strong supporter of Israel. Any attempt to link him to the extreme right and fascism is without foundation. Also, the suggestion that those statistics are "skewed" is also contrary to reality. Whether one is talking about the UK, France, Scandinavia or Australia, crime statistics show that Muslims commit crimes far beyond their numbers. That goes for rapes too (the women are infidels after all). An Australian imam a few years ago famously referred to immodestly dressed women as "uncovered meat".
Whatever all of you say, their agenda is to ban Brit Milah and not only shechita, but also import of kosher meat. That is why this party is worse than any of the others. And a good reason for the Jews to take a stand against, not only "liberal elite" or whatever some of you wrote...
working class jews cant even afford kosher meat . Most enjoy a nice bacon sandwich and we still are 100 percent jews simply because thats how we were born. Nobody will stop a a brit because many non jews still do it. You are an elite but your head is so far in the clouds that youcant see the ground
Strange that you should mention exactly that on SD's agenda where they agree with most other parties in Sweden. They are wrong in this and I hope that they will abandon their secular fanaticism and agree to Brit Milah on minors and at least the import of kosher meat. But in this sphere they are presently part of the Swedish consensus!
The two top members are not even average Jews. One of them, Ted Ekeroth, was the first Swede to be awarded the sionist Herzl Award! When the commitee discovered it they tried to convince him to leave the party, but he refused: "When you are a sionist you are a Jewish nationalist. Then you also have to respect Swedish nationalism." SD is nowadays "only" antiarabic, while its relative, the National Democrats, which entered a city council for the first time, keeps to its neonazi roots.
to learn the language or the customs of the host country, and contribute little to the labor pool while contributing heavily to the crime statistics, and demanding much from the social support system, is not anti-Semitic. It is basic human nature.
to learn the language or the customs of the host country, and contribute little to the labor pool while contributing heavily to the crime statistics, and demanding much from the social support system, is not anti-Semitic. It is basic human nature.
Far right wackos are the most ardent supporters of Israel. Their hate towards Muslims and their disdain for Human Rights unites them both. Israel must be more than happy to see this Swedish version of Yisrael Beiteneu raise to power.
The Nazis were the enemy 65 years ago. Now we have another bitter enemy - Islam, and the enemies of our new enemy are our friends, even if their background is suspisous.
Lefties in Sweden are even more crazy than lefties in Israel - a thing I didn't believe was possible.
Here in Israel the far rightists and their brand of Jewish fascism only grows stronger with each election. We are in no position to lecture others on this issue.
fascism is socialism with a capitalist veneer. The word derives from "fasces", the Roman symbol of collectivism and power: a tied bundle of rods with a protruding ax. In its day (the 1920s and 1930s), fascism was seen as the happy medium between boom-and-bust-prone liberal capitalism and revolutionary Marxism.
You think this is why socialists flung into Spain to fight against Franco? You think the Popular Fronts were created to easy the passage for fascists into power? Like the masses then, you got tricked by fascist rhetoric... It is not because they were called National-Socialists that they were socialists... just like it does not mean Israel is a true democracy even if its politicians tagged themselves "Democrats"...
That's why we don't find him quite much those last days talkbacking, should be busy with the electoral campaign.
Radical left is destroying Europe. The Jews in Sweden and the EU should waje up and stop support this radical anti-Israeli left.
It is a racist party which only is interested in scapegoating a minority of the Swedish population in order to acquire political power. Your allusion to your imagined "radical anti-Israeli left" is another sign of how little you know about Swedish and European internal politics.
There are over 1.2 billion Muslims...how is that a minority? How is it scapegoating when this same minority wishes to live under laws that are practiced by another country? This is treason! Shariah is the law of the land in Saudi Arabia....those who wish to practice it should go there and do so...
There are over 1.2 billion Muslims...how is that a minority? How is it scapegoating when this same minority wishes to live under laws that are practiced by another country? This is treason! Shariah is the law of the land in Saudi Arabia....those who wish to practice it should go there and do so...
Sweedish self preservation. The Moslems seldom endear themselves to their host countries. The US included. The Jews of Sweeden have more to fear from the Moslems and the left than this party that is worried about a rising immigrant population of Moslems.
What Posner says may be so but Jews living in the west need to wake up because the new reality is that the demographic balance is slowly turning with mass imigration from islamic nations ordinary Jews are going to be pushed further and further into the sidelines. Anti jewish acts will inevitably increase and the political choice for Jews will become stark. Either support those who wish to halt immigration or campaign for their own destruction. Posner only speaks for a liberal elite
'Posner claims that the SD’s pro-Israel stance emanates from nothing more than a way to further battle the Muslim community, and has nothing to do with an affinity with the Jews or the Jewish homeland per se.' This or close to it applies to almost all the 'support' Israel receives. The danger, really, is that such friends don't actually have your best interests at heart. Rather, they want you to act out their fantasies. Witness the thunderous applause that erupts among them every time Israel carries out a 'Cast Lead' or the like. It's not their funeral.
Damned if u do and damned if u don't.... These liberals are not Jewish! they are a bunch of left winged nut jobs who would rather be under sharia than be free. To hell with them....or better yet, go and live in Saudi Arabia...or some Muslim dominated country....
Halakka/Shariah Yeshiva/Madrassa Rabbi/Mullah The march of the zealots continues!!
Wow. Such an interesting combination. Just the right friend for Israel.
In fact a lot more radical when it comes to religion mixed in government. I still remember the times when Erdogan would suggest to get advice from the Mullahs (his own words = ULEMAYA DANISALIM)
If you don`t know what I am talking about about, those simple words should help you: Shas, United Torah Judaism, National Union, Settlers`council...
well, that's new.
Amazing - quoted posner saying "Ninety-nine percent of the community" is not prefaced by some derogatory remarks re use of statistics (do your really believed he has checked? - vs. made up number to sound good) Vs. the skewed stats on Rape which are Not - the Rape numbers are not as 'skewed' as the journalist attempts to imply. Also look at anti-semitic Malmo - why would one worry about a party which might be anti-semitic vs. parties and people and Sweden which already act out it .... i.e. the Muslims of Malmo - same as what is happening in other areas with Muslims and far left. - Worry about the present Mr. Posner
a few clucking noises are made and nothing changes. Jews leave under the the apology regime that keeps dreaming up excuses on how it is really not hapenning.
How different are they from settler apologists for zionist racism? Palestinians get beaten up, abused.
Right wing Jewish racists who hate all Muslims, steal their land, kill anyone who protests the persecution, and yet still play the martyr card?
That is how it is, they will never allow this demographic to change
I guess the Jews now have a purpose for them