Special debate on antisemitism in Sweden

Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! On October 7, over a thousand Israelis were murdered in the most sadistic ways. It was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Images of dead and unconscious bodies and terrified hostages were spread with euphoria by the Hamas terrorists. How was this received on Swedish streets and squares? Well, in Malmö, fireworks were set off, and loud motorcades celebrated the attack. It is grotesque and loathsome - but unfortunately far from the only incident of its kind.

For the Liberals, the situation is crystal clear: Antisemitism must be countered regardless of where it comes from. Many feel great concern for their own and their families' safety, because now Jews are being singled out as perpetrators and blamed for Israel's actions, all in order to be made into legitimate victims of hate crimes.

We must show cross-bloc unity on the issue of antisemitism. Everyone in our country should feel safe being who they are, and therefore we have requested this debate.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! As Minister for Culture, I have responsibility for our five national minorities, including Jews, in Sweden. It is part of my political responsibility to ensure that one as a Jew in Sweden can fully live openly according to their tradition and their culture.

I have met many representatives of the Jewish minority. I have visited synagogues, schools, preschools, associations, and elderly care homes. In almost every meeting, I have heard terrible stories of raw and blatant antisemitism, not infrequently directed at Jewish children and young people and not infrequently in the school environment or on social media. I have met parents who do not know if they dare to send their children to school, principals who are worried about the school's finances as the security for the school needs to be increased, people who are refused to shop in stores because they wear the Star of David around their necks, and a family who is considering changing the children's surname to protect them from hate and threats. Antisemitism is one of the biggest obstacles for a Jew in Sweden to be able to live their life on the same terms as others.

This is what reality looked like a year ago. Already then, the Prime Minister underlined in his government statement that antisemitism is a priority issue for this government. However, in recent months, the stories have become more and more numerous and increasingly bleak. After Hamas's terror attack against Israel on October 7, reports of hate speech against a group with antisemitic motives have increased. We have seen families talking about leaving the country, and we have seen individuals celebrating Hamas's atrocities on Swedish streets.

Mr. Speaker! I know what it means to be driven into flight from one's home country. I have experienced it myself. My family and I fled from a fundamentalist oppression to the freedom and security here, in Sweden. Now I meet Swedish citizens, often born here, who doubt if they dare to stay here, in their own home country. This awakens a personal sorrow and anger in me, and it is with emphasis that I say this: This development will never be accepted by me or the government!

Sweden has a long and dark tradition of antisemitism. Here, unfortunately, we are not unique. It is however important to point out that antisemitism has a distinct character compared to other forms of racism and hate. It unites right-wing and left-wing extremists as well as Islamists and constitutes a fundamental part of many conspiracy theories that undermine our democracy. Antisemitism occurs in broad layers of the population and cuts across groups, political positions, and ideologies.

A great responsibility rests on the government's shoulders. But however much we do, it will not be enough. All parties, religious communities, and civil society at large need to show leadership. There must be zero tolerance when anti-Semitic prejudices are aired. We must take responsibility for this together. Antisemitism must not go unchallenged. Here, everyone must show leadership. Therefore, I am proud to be part of a government that puts action behind words and shows leadership.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by thanking the Liberals and Malin Danielsson for the initiative for this debate on antisemitism.

The goal of antisemitism is to exterminate Jews and the Jewish people. It is not a historical invention; it threatens people's freedom and security even today around the world. Here in Sweden, reports of hate speech against a group with antisemitic motives have increased by almost 50 percent since the beginning of October. Many are those who today testify to both fear and anxiety.

The police are now tightening their surveillance of Jewish institutions. Security is being increased at Jewish events. They may also be cancelled entirely or postponed until the future. Jewish congregations are urging members not to speak Hebrew and not to wear Jewish symbols in public. We see a similar development in other countries - all this because security cannot be guaranteed.

Today we see antisemitism spreading on the internet and social media, exploiting conflicts and crises and challenging Jewish identity and existence. Let me be clear: That Jews today in Sweden are afraid is nothing less than a shame! It is a serious failure for society and for Sweden as a country.

Mr. Speaker! Antisemitism is a symptom of a sick and divided society where hatred, threats, prejudice, and extremism are allowed to flourish. And let me be just as clear that we in this assembly, every member of parliament, bear a heavy responsibility in every action and decision, but just as much in every non-action and non-decision. We must have the strength to stand up against antisemitism.

As the survivor Hédi Fried said: "The greatest responsibility is to never be a bystander. But to always speak out."

If we are to learn anything from history, it is that when antisemitic hatred is allowed, violence also follows—sometimes spontaneous, sometimes organized. This is a question of safety and security for the Jews who live in our country here and now, but also about what kind of society we want to have. It is about building trust and creating safety.

I know that our Sweden can be better. Therefore, we must condemn those who spread and practice antisemitism regardless of their position or influence. We must stand up against the forces that want to increase the division in our country, who want to increase tensions, and who want to pit group against group.

The national Jewish minority has the right to live in safety and freedom. It also has the right to its religion and its cultural practice. If a group's right to exist is threatened, the democratic foundation on which Sweden rests is threatened.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I also want to take the opportunity to thank the Liberals for taking the initiative for this important debate.

Around the world, we see an increased antisemitism that is once again manifesting in the public sphere. It is an antisemitism that my Jewish colleagues and friends believe is usually expressed in cynical comments, through disguised conspiracy theories, or behind anonymous aliases on a computer screen. Now, after October 7, antisemitism is being chanted openly on our Swedish streets and squares. Antisemitic comments are being spray-painted in the public environment. It creates a terrifying threat against our Jewish minority.

I have motioned for Israel and the Jewish people since my first day in the Riksdag. It is an important issue for me. But I want to be humble. My own party also has a history. It is a history that is important to highlight in this debate. There have been people who have held loathsome antisemitic views. It is something that we can never tolerate. And it is something that it is important to be attentive to, so that one can strike it down when one sees it, regardless of where.

In light of the time we live in, it is important that everyone takes their responsibility and does not protect antisemitism, whether it hides behind criticism of Israel or exists in voter groups or in this chamber. That thousands of people celebrate a terrorist attack and march through our streets and squares and chant antisemitic slogans is frightening. That certain forces succeed in expressing vile opinions by disguising them as criticism of Israel is frightening. That the media all too often does not hold Hamas responsible for what is happening in Palestine but instead places the responsibility on Israel is frightening.

But it is also frightening that anti-Semitic currents are defended and protected for the sake of political maneuvering. According to surveys, every other Swedish citizen from the Jewish minority is reflecting on their future in Sweden due to the increased threat and hatred. It is serious now. If this chamber does not start taking anti-Semitism seriously, there is a risk that we will have no Jewish minority left in the country in 20-30 years.

We in the Sweden Democrats will never tolerate what is now happening in our country. We are prepared to strike back with force against those who are currently chanting antisemitic propaganda on our streets and squares.

(Applause)

In this speech, Staffan Eklöf (SD) agreed.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ilona Szatmári Waldau (V)

Mr. Speaker! Auschwitz, Mauthausen, Buchenwald and Stutthof are names of some of Nazi Germany's concentration camps. But for me, they are not just names; for me, they are camps where my relatives were murdered. They are relatives whom I never got to meet and whose children and grandchildren were never born.

In large part, my grandmother's mother's entire family was wiped out in the Holocaust. None of this has my grandmother or father told me. It is my own research that has given me a picture of my relatives' fates. In our family, we never spoke about our Jewish relatives or our Jewish history. Only much later in adulthood did I find out that my grandmother was Jewish, but that the entire family, because of the antisemitism, had converted to Catholicism in the 30s.

I have often wondered about my father's silence and that he avoided answering my questions or gave me incorrect answers. I never heard the truth about my grandfather, who was also murdered. Perhaps father wanted to forget, perhaps he wanted to protect me, perhaps he was afraid of antisemitism. By not pretending to his and thus my Jewish background, he protected us from antisemitism. He knew, after all, what antisemitism and the dehumanization of Jews can lead to: hatred, persecution, and extermination. It has happened many times in history, and it can happen again.

When we now discuss antisemitism, the basis is not pogroms and the Holocaust but rather hate crimes and the negative stereotypical perceptions that still exist in Sweden. It is stereotypical perceptions that often come to the surface when Israel wages war against Gaza on a large scale or occupies more land on the West Bank.

The Swedes who identify as Jews are not Israel and cannot be held responsible for the policy that Israel pursues. Israel does not represent all Jews, and all Jews do not represent Israel. When one burns Israel's flag in principle outside a synagogue, it does not help to say that it is not directed at Jews. That is how it is perceived. The one whose family has been subjected to genocide is rightly afraid that it could happen again. The words are frightening.

The antisemitic perceptions and conspiracy theories are so deeply rooted in the Western world that they are used without the user even thinking that they are antisemitic. Therefore, our role must be to speak out every time they are used and ensure that the antisemitic perceptions are exposed.

No one should have to be afraid in Sweden. In Sweden, everyone shall be safe.

(Applause)

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Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! Antisemitism and debate are two words that should not have to be mentioned in the same sentence. Yet here we stand today, in a special debate in the Riksdag about just antisemitism - in Sweden in 2023.

Antisemitism is creeping in everywhere, even all the way into the cloakroom at the preschool where muddy boots and galon clothes are shared with November-weary parents and children on their way home. It is a cloakroom where every child has their own shelf, their own hook, and their own basket that is clearly marked with names. These are baskets that usually contain wet mittens and perhaps some party invitation. But one day, the basket also contains a note with a loathsome, overt Jew-hatred.

First, the four-year-old girl becomes happy. It is mommy's star. But when mommy sees it, she quickly realizes what it is about. It is the Star of David, which is thrown into a trash can, and a text that makes mommy freeze to ice. Not even in the preschool's cloakroom can they get away with it anymore. The girl, whose name I have been asked not to mention, has a grandmother and a grandfather who came to Sweden from the concentration camps. Now the family is met with this.

When I take in the mother's story, my heart breaks into a thousand pieces. Antisemitism has no place in our society. It has no place in our preschools or schools. It has no place in our workplaces or on our streets and squares. And it has absolutely no place in this chamber.

Still, we hear alarm reports every day about graffiti with swastikas and about attacks on Jewish sisters and brothers. Still, Jews are forced to hide their David's stars, to hide their own identity. Still, Jewish parents worry when they send their children to school. Still, Jewish congregations are forced to cancel holiday celebrations and memorial services. Still, children are met with antisemitic messages in the cloakroom at the preschool.

We must say it as it is. Antisemitism exists everywhere in our society. It comes from all sides, from right-wing extremists and left-wing extremists, from Islamists and Nazis. It cannot continue like this. Antisemitism, Islamophobia, all forms of racism in our society must be banished to the scrap heap of history. This must not be a subject of debate going forward.

In this, we must stand united. The whole society must stand together and clearly say: Never again - not today, not tomorrow.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Magnus Berntsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! On October 7, Hamas subjected innocent children, mothers, fathers, and grandparents from southern Israel to a horrific terrorist attack. Hamas also kidnapped 240 people, and over 1,200 people lost their lives. That is, more were murdered than during Kristallnacht itself. It is therefore as unexpected as it is shameful that those very events have become the beginning of one of the most powerful waves of antisemitism that our country has seen.

I had the opportunity, two weeks after the attack, to visit the kibbutz Kfar Aza in Israel, which is located near the border with Gaza. I could see and witness with my own eyes the remains of the bestial atrocities. I saw shelters where the terrorists had broken in and indiscriminately murdered everyone inside. Bloodstains and bullet holes remained, as did the smell of rotting blood.

I met evacuated residents from Kfar Aza - those who were able to. We sat in a large circle, and they told each other about their experiences one by one. The man to my left sat and shook while telling that his wife and three children had been kidnapped. He said that he wasn't even angry, but that he might become so again. He just wanted to have them home. Several people in the circle spoke about dead and kidnapped family members.

This is what antisemitism can lead to. We can never accept that.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! We are seeing an explosive and very worrying spread of antisemitism now. Hate crimes have increased sharply since the war between Israel and Hamas started. In Israel, over 1,000 antisemitic hate crimes were recorded in just one month. In London, we saw a staggering increase of 1,353 percent in just two weeks.

It is also happening here in Sweden. Reports of hate speech against a group with antisemitic motives have increased by almost 50 percent. People loudly celebrate Hamas's horrific attacks against civilians, murals with antisemitic motifs appear, and Jews are afraid to go to school or work. The police see a worrying development where they are now starting to target individuals and seek them out where they live. Therefore, I want to particularly emphasize the importance of strengthening the safety and security of Jews in Sweden.

Miljöpartiet welcomes the government's initiatives to strengthen Jewish life in Sweden and to combat antisemitism. These are initiatives that in many cases were initiated by us during our time in government. The means to strengthen security for Jews must be sufficient and long-term so that Jewish organizations can feel safe. But we must also be prepared to do more.

All types of antisemitism must be condemned with force. In our Sweden, no one should have to hesitate to wear a Star of David, and no parents should ever have to tell their children not to display their Jewish identity. No children should have to be afraid to go to school.

It is particularly important to discuss how we can cool down the tone of the debate, for if there is anything we do not need now, it is increased polemic.

We also see how other forms of racism are increasing. Many Muslims experience an increased threat, and the work against other forms of racism and hate crimes must therefore be intensified.

Mr. Speaker! To reach a Sweden where antisemitism does not exist, unity is required, and I hope that the Minister for Culture and the Prime Minister are prepared to act for a broad effort to counter antisemitism in Sweden and work to strengthen Jewish life. Anything else would be unacceptable.

(Applause)

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Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Antisemitic hate crimes have increased avalanche-like in Europe. In France, three times as many hate crimes against Jews have been reported in the last month as during the entire of last year. In Germany, a synagogue was subjected to a firebomb attack, and facades of houses where Jews live have been marked with David's stars. The echoes from Kristallnacht resound all too clearly now 85 years later. In Sweden, reports of antisemitic hate crimes have increased by almost 50 percent. On a wall in Gothenburg, one could read an ice-cold exhortation in the graffiti "Kill Jews".

Antisemitism is now coming from a new direction. It is people with roots in the Middle East who are responsible for the increase, supported by both right-wing and left-wing extremist movements. We need to speak plainly about this.

Mr. Speaker! I am reached by stories that make me shudder. Parents are taking their children out of school. Families are considering changing their Jewish names to ones that sound Swedish. They are met with insults in the city and swastikas in stairwells.

In two years, it will have been 250 years since the first Jew was allowed to settle in Sweden without being forced to convert. In the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of Jewish life in Sweden, Jewish communities are now advising their members against openly showing that they are Jews. Antisemitism lives, thrives, and is unfortunately tolerated in our time. This is completely unacceptable. The Jewish minority is a natural part of our society and has an inviolable right to a life free from violence and threats. Antisemitism has no place in Sweden.

(Applause)

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! The Government has been clear from the start and emphasized in the Government Bill that the work against antisemitism shall be prioritized. In order to do that, one needs to focus on a number of things, and the Government has chosen to do so. Among other things, we have appointed the interdepartmental working group Samling för judiskt liv to be able to intensify and coordinate the work against antisemitism. The group has already met on two occasions and will work throughout the entire parliamentary term against antisemitism and for Jewish life in Sweden.

Strengthening the safety and security of Jews in Sweden is an immensely important part of the work against antisemitism. Safety has become our time's great freedom issue. It is ultimately the state's responsibility to guarantee the physical security for synagogues and other Jewish institutions and the activities conducted there.

We must also be able to highlight Jewish culture. Many young Jews whom I have met over the past year express a desire to be able to shape their Jewish identity based on their culture and their own identity - not just based on the Holocaust or in relation to antisemitic threats.

Finally, I want to speak about school and education. If we are to succeed in pushing back antisemitism, and if children and young people are not to inherit their parents' prejudices, school is the key. Teachers need tools to meet antisemitism in their classrooms. Swedish students must continue to have the opportunity to visit the sites of memory of the Holocaust, and we must examine antisemitic attitudes in depth so that we can continue the work of strengthening knowledge and respect for everyone's equal value.

The government is therefore taking a series of measures and initiatives to prevent and counteract anti-Semitic attitudes. This includes, among other things, a strengthening of the Segersted Institute's mandate to spread knowledge about working methods against anti-Semitism to actors who have an important role in this work. We are also extending the grant by 6 million kronor for memorial trips to the sites of the Holocaust.

In order for us to be able to take accurate measures, it is of great importance that we also gain a better understanding of the prevalence and expressions of antisemitism in Sweden. Therefore, in the budget bill, we have proposed that an attitude survey on antisemitism should be conducted to increase knowledge about the occurrence of antisemitism. Through this, a knowledge overview can be developed on how antisemitism spreads and how we can best counteract it.

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! The conflict between Hamas and Israel has undoubtedly led to increased tensions all over Europe, even here at home in Sweden. We see, among other things, an increase in antisemitism as a consequence, but also hatred towards Muslims. In such a situation, we need a leadership that distances itself from antisemitism but also from hatred towards Muslims and Swedish Palestinians.

In this situation, the Prime Minister chooses not to unite the country and not to contribute to reducing hate and threats. One reason for this is likely that he is trying to shift the focus from the fact that he sits in the position he does: on a mandate completely dependent on the Sweden Democrats. But increasing hatred towards one group will never decrease the hatred towards another. This is truly dangerous for Sweden.

My question to the Minister is: How can the Minister and the Government contribute to reduced antisemitism and Islamophobia and to reducing the racism that today divides our society?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question. I truly welcome S's engagement in this issue. It is extremely important. I can also state that it is somewhat newly awakened.

The government has already, before October 7, already in its first government statement, clarified that the fight against antisemitism is something that we intend to take on and that we will not rest on our laurels. We began the first period as a government with a number of measures so that the work against antisemitism should occur at an even higher pace than before. We have made budget investments in various things to the same extent.

We must not forget that antisemitism existed in Sweden even before October 7, even before the majority society opened its eyes to it as clearly as today. Therefore, it is important that the struggle continues and that we stand firm both before and after.

(Applause)

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! In my next speech, I will describe both what the Social Democratic government has done over decades and what we think should be done today. But now, I will pose questions to the Minister.

The government and the Prime Minister are unable to navigate this difficult issue. They are unable to both unite the country and reduce hatred, nor even to express sympathy and respect for all those affected by what is now happening.

The Social Democratic-led government took several measures, which I will return to, in the work against antisemitism. Among other things, an inquiry was appointed on the ban of racist organizations and an inquiry on a national strategy to strengthen Jewish life in Sweden. The latter inquiry is presented on December 15. It will be interesting for everyone in this chamber to take part in it and follow what the government does.

My question to the Minister concerns the investigation into a specific penalty for denial of the Holocaust. It was an investigation that the Social Democratic government commissioned and which was presented this spring. It is on the government's table. Can the Minister give any announcement today on if and when the proposal will become a reality?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is absolutely correct that we need to work against all types of racism in our country. It is also why the government, in its budget proposal, has allocated additional funds to be able to increase the work against all types of racism. But we must remember that antisemitism has a distinct character even in relation to other types of racism. It gathers violence from many different sides, and special measures will be required to address antisemitism.

The investigation that has been conducted is currently being prepared within the Government Offices, and the government will return to this.

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Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for the clarity in these questions.

I want to tell about the visit I received in my school class from a survivor of the Holocaust. It is a memory that has settled and that remains to this day. It is a matter of invaluable hours that I appreciate immensely and personal testimonies about the crimes of Nazism. But the years pass, and soon there will be no survivors left who can tell.

In the government's budget, there are several initiatives for more knowledge about safer Jewish life in Sweden. That is good. But more was needed to counter the antisemitism right now. For example, more students can be sent on memorial trips to the sites of the Holocaust.

My question to the Minister is whether the government is prepared to increase and, above all, make the appropriations for memorial trips permanent.

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for this important clarification of these issues. It is important to point out that very much happens precisely in schools, not to mention preschools, when it comes to educating and ensuring that antisemitism is not passed down between generations.

When it comes to the government's efforts against antisemitism, we have presented a number of measures, both before October 7 in the current budget and in the upcoming budget, which is now before the Riksdag. Part of this involves conducting a large and broad attitude survey regarding antisemitic influences and attitudes to examine where they are derived from, where they are found, and how they function, both in physical space and in the digital space. Based on that, the government intends to design further measures to broaden the work against antisemitism.

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Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer. We in the Center Party truly welcome the government's supplement. But the support must become long-term and, above all, permanent.

The question concerned primarily memorial trips. The Centre Party has submitted a proposal to double the appropriation presented by the government, from 6 to 12 million, and above all to make it permanent so that it is not temporary funds. As it stands now, it is time-limited to 2026. I hope and really want to believe that the government is prepared to both increase and make permanent the appropriations for the memorial trips, which are so incredibly important and which can perform such incredibly important work.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has promised to strengthen and protect Jewish life in Sweden. Enabling more young people to visit the sites of the Holocaust would be a step in the right direction. I repeat the question to the Minister: Are you prepared to double the grants for memorial trips and, above all, make them permanent?

(Applause)

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! Again: These are incredibly important measures we are talking about. That is also why the government has placed these 6 billion kronor in the budget for 2024-2026. Then the government has said that with the help of the attitude survey that we intend to conduct together with Forum för levande historia and the investigation on strengthening Jewish life in Sweden, which the S-government profitably appointed and which we are waiting for, we hope to be able to work further with measures.

I believe everyone in here agrees that more measures will be required. Which measures will be required, I think we need to look at more closely. We need a basis for that. We need to talk to the Jewish organizations about it, and it needs to be highlighted further before we make decisions on the merits.

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Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! It is important to condemn antisemitism regardless of where it comes from. But at least as important is to act to change the situation here and now.

Right now, we have a situation in Sweden's schools where it falls heavily on the teachers and the school staff to handle the increased level of conflict and the expressions of antisemitism and racism that exist. In Malmö, the municipal leadership has allocated 29 million kronor to strengthen conflict management work and reduce antisemitism.

During our time in government, we allocated funds for the National Agency for Education and the Forum for Living History to develop tools to be able to work systematically to reduce antisemitism.

My question to the Minister for Culture is: How is the government acting to provide schools with better conditions to meet the antisemitism that we see today?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is a broad question. It also needs to be answered with several different measures.

It is natural that Forum för levande historia has received proposals for additional tasks in the budget that we have submitted for 2024 and which is before the Riksdag. Among these are proposals that Forum should work with further reinforcements of the work against antisemitism. It lies therein to enable attitude surveys and also to look at other racism, anti-Gypsyism, and antisemitism in order to be able to carry out work on it.

Furthermore, the government is providing funds to, among others, the Segersted Institute, which works directly with teachers, so that teachers will receive the tools they need to be able to meet this out in the schoolyard and in their classrooms. I have stood in those classrooms myself. I know what it is like to face this. I also know how difficult it can be. The teachers are truly the key. We need to make interventions for the school.

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Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Culture, for the answers!

It is an important assignment that Forum has been given to carry out the mapping. It is good with the reinforcements that have been made. But I am convinced that more will be required.

Skolverket and Forum för levande historia have submitted a partial report on the assignment they received during our time in government to develop precisely the tools for how one can work in schools to counteract antisemitism and also other forms of racism.

I wonder how the government intends to work further concretely to provide Skolverket and not least the municipalities with support here and now in the situation that is currently ongoing on our schoolyards. It is important to act with force and curb these expressions as quickly as possible.

We cannot hand over the responsibility to the municipalities to solve it themselves. It is fantastic that Malmö has taken this initiative and allocated funds. I know that many important collaborations are taking place around the country where the municipality, civil society, and religious communities work together to reduce tensions. The question is: What is the government doing, and is it prepared to do more here and now?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! The Government is making a number of different efforts. I have already informed you about some of them. There are even more efforts and measures that are presented, among other things, in the budget. We have also already, in the existing budget, strengthened the work for security measures with 10 million kronor to the Jewish Central Council.

It is naturally also about enabling Jewish schools and preschools to conduct their activities in safety and freedom.

When it comes to the schools, I do not quite agree with the member that it is not a responsibility that should fall on the municipalities. I believe that everyone needs to bear their responsibility in this. The municipalities have the schools under their wings. They bear a responsibility in this. We must work together. We will not get anywhere if it is not a collective task.

I can become concerned about the developments we have seen, not least here in Stockholm. There, the work against antisemitism has been merged with the work against other forms of racism. In that case, one does not understand the distinctiveness.

(Applause)

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! As many have pointed out, concrete measures are required to stop and counter the growing antisemitism that threatens our society and our democracy.

When Swedish neo-Nazism grew strong in Sweden during the 90s, the then Prime Minister Göran Persson took several measures and initiated a new agency, Forum för levande historia, and the book Om detta må ni berätta, which was sent out to all families with children.

Under Stefan Löfven's government, which followed, a long series of measures were taken, including an international summit on the Holocaust, combating antisemitism, measures for education against antisemitism, combating hate crimes, increased security, and a museum in Stockholm about the Holocaust which can now be visited.

Mr. Speaker! It was a lot, but naturally, more needs to be done. The message from here must be crystal clear. Jews have the right to feel safe in Sweden.

The fight for human dignity must never stop at beautiful words. Therefore, we Social Democrats demand that the police be tasked with strengthening security at vulnerable arrangements and institutions in order to ensure that Jewish congregations and other Jewish organizations can carry out their activities. We also want to see increased appropriations for security-enhancing measures for Jewish and other organizations within civil society.

We mean that the school's work should be strengthened to counter antisemitism and that the resources for memorial trips should be doubled. These are concrete measures that make a difference here and now.

Mr. Speaker! A governing party has a responsibility to unite the country in difficult situations. There is a responsibility to reduce tensions now that the war between the terrorist organization Hamas and Israel is creating ripples and conflicts all over the world. The government and the Prime Minister are unable to shoulder that responsibility.

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Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I must ask a question. It sounds as if a fantastic amount has been done and that this is a problem that has arisen now. The Government is not taking it seriously and is unable to bear the responsibility in these matters.

Seriously speaking: These tones and attitudes of antisemitism have existed for a long time in Sweden. It is something that, not least my party, has warned against. I sit and talk with my Muslim friends. When we come to this question, we say: We cannot talk about this if we are going to socialize.

The conspiracies and the attitudes towards Israel and the Jewish people that exist in those cultures are a serious problem. Instead of going around it, we should talk about the core of the matter. The Social Democrats have a responsibility for the development we see right now. That should be taken more seriously than standing here and trying to criticize the government that is currently in power.

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! I believe I was very clear in my speech. I said exactly the opposite of what Alexander Christiansson says, namely that it is not a new problem but that it is historical and that it continues to be a problem.

On the other hand, the Sweden Democrats' stance on antisemitism is extremely flexible. The party is against Jew-hatred when it suits them. This applies primarily if that issue could be exploited to cast suspicion on Muslims.

To not beat around the bush, as the expression goes, it is no secret that a large proportion of the founders of the Sweden Democrats, the party that now constitutes the government base for the Moderates, Liberals, and Christian Democrats, have their roots in Nazi, fascist, racist, and undemocratic contexts with a both well-founded and well-documented hatred of Jews.

We can truly state that roots are unfortunately not uprooted. It is a problem that some have expressed only recently—that Jews are not Swedes. It is deeply problematic. Alexander Christiansson is welcome to elaborate on how he views that.

(Applause)

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Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for a great response to my reply, Lena Hallengren!

If we are to start discussing history, we will have to do that in another debate. I do not know if the Social Democrats will actually feel so proud of the history they themselves have. I do not intend to go down there. It is dishonest towards the debate that we are having right now.

When it comes to the Sweden Democrats, that is correct. We have just produced a white paper. You are completely right. That is how it is. But it is also the case that when it comes to antisemitism, it is an issue that we in the Sweden Democrats push very hard. It is something that I myself motion for. It is something that I myself am passionate about.

I mean that we have the problem in the attitudes that exist where slogans are chanted against Jews here on our streets and squares. That is where the core of the matter is when we talk about the problem with antisemitism today in Sweden. It needs to be taken seriously.

It is both arrogant and self-righteous to stand and criticize others when one oneself bears such a great responsibility for this issue as the Social Democrats do, in particular.

(Applause)

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! I am sincerely surprised by Alexander Christiansson's claim that the Social Democrats would bear such a great responsibility for antisemitism. I want to say that everyone bears a responsibility. Everyone who lives in Swedish society risks encountering antisemitism and has an obligation to protest, speak out, and do everything they can to combat the antisemitic views that exist.

But it is not irrelevant that the government leading Sweden today is governed by a party with roots in Nazism. It is difficult to escape this. It is clear that it sends signals to Jewish congregations and to the Jewish people in Sweden.

I will not ask another question, as Alexander Christiansson has no replies left. It is, however, clear that I feel a great responsibility to continue the work that, among others, Göran Persson and Stefan Löfven did to ensure that both the Holocaust and the opportunity for the Jewish people to live with Jewish traditions in Sweden today are highlighted.

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Magnus Berntsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The former Prime Minister Göran Persson, who has been praised for his work against antisemitism, expressed self-criticism in an interview in Dagens Nyheter just over two years ago. He argued that antisemitism had been allowed to flourish within his own party. When Persson commented on SSU in Malmö in the article, he stated, among other things, that the opposition to the state of Israel had become something that had crossed over into antisemitism.

In view of this, I would like to ask Member Hallengren if she thinks that the Social Democrats have now, some years later, done enough to counter antisemitism within the party and the youth wing. Can she perhaps also tell us about some measures that have been taken and that others can learn from?

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! It is a free interpretation by Member Berntsson what the former Prime Minister actually meant in this interview. I believe that Göran Persson is proud of all the work that the Social Democrats in particular have carried out. We have carried out this work internationally and here at home. Not least Göran Persson and Stefan Löfven have, as Prime Ministers, truly engaged and contributed in a way that is particularly lasting. It is possible to visit authorities and museums, to go on commemorative trips and to take part in the investigations that we commissioned and which will soon return. I look forward to these discussions.

We are very concerned that all people have equal value. It is less relevant who one is or where one comes from. Antisemitism has a special status, but let me add for Member Berntsson that it is also very dangerous for a society to let hatred and threats grow in another area, for example Islamophobia. It benefits no one.

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Magnus Berntsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! In 2009, Max Safir, who survived the Holocaust, took the initiative to invite Members of Parliament to follow in his footsteps during his upbringing in Poland and through his fate during the Holocaust. Until his passing in 2020, five trips were carried out with approximately 100 members. This year, the parliamentary network Memory of the Holocaust organized a study trip to the Holocaust's memorial sites in Poland in the spirit of Max Safir. Both Member of Parliament Hallengren and I myself had the opportunity to participate in this trip.

Since I know that Member Hallengren is very involved in the parliamentary network, together with among others its chairman Mikael Oscarsson, it feels more urgent than ever to ask the Member if she agrees with me that there is reason to arrange more such trips already during the current parliamentary term.

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! I absolutely think that it does. I think there are reasons for many not only to go on a trip but also to contemplate what they encounter and what social change we may be facing.

Now, this is a debate about antisemitism. We will have to return to other debates, but racism and Islamophobia are not far off when one considers where we are headed today.

Mr. Speaker! One should not ask questions in one's closing remarks. I merely note that Magnus Berntsson belongs to a party that sits in government thanks to a party which in turn is founded in Nazism. It is not possible to ignore this in a debate concerning antisemitism. I regret it.

(Applause)

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Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Lena Hallengren previously quoted Hédi Fried's words about always speaking out. It is needed now more than ever.

When you make it a major issue for your party to be an enemy of racism and antisemitism and discover that the phenomenon exists within the party's own leadership, it becomes extra difficult. But if you do not tackle the problem, you are part of the problem.

That is why I want to ask Lena Hallengren how you can, in good conscience, keep Jamal El-Haj as a representative in the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The evidence of his connections to Amin Abu Rashid was so clear that he needed to take a break, but now we are receiving no information from Magdalena Andersson. Why is that? Why aren't you speaking out now?

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! This is a debate about antisemitism in Sweden. It is growing. The Jewish people do not only feel pushed back, but threatened. We have heard testimonies from the rostrum about children who do not dare to speak Hebrew, who do not dare to wear the Star of David, and who do not dare to go to school. We have heard about synagogues that do not dare to hold their services without police protection.

This is a bit stomach-turning, I must say, from the Liberals, who are a party for freedom and who also, if I remember correctly, were the party that would hold the Sweden Democrats in check and who would be very clear about the red lines. That is not quite what we see from the Liberals today. I would welcome a bit more backbone.

(Applause)

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Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! All parties have a responsibility to clean up within their own ranks when antisemitism occurs. This is a requirement that I place on all parties.

My heart as a mother bleeds for the children in Gaza and in Israel who need to experience the hell they are undergoing from the war that Hamas has started. But to defend Jamal El-Haj in the way the Social Democrats do, when he literally embraced a detained terror financier at a conference that our Palestine ambassador in Sweden calls a Hamas conference, is quite stomach-turning. At the same time, one calls Fatah, which has an armed wing that has participated in massacres against Jews and which is classified as terror by the EU, its sister party.

Do not let us take responsibility for other parties' actions, Lena Hallengren! Take responsibility for your party! We need you in the fight against antisemitism - not on the other side. It is you who need to speak out.

(Applause)

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! I note that it is a joke in a very serious situation to try to smear concepts onto parties that are definitely not - in this case - antisemitic. How can Malin Danielsson stand in this speaker's chair and claim that the Social Democrats would be an antisemitic party and point out individual members? I am not pointing out a specific member in this situation. I am not speaking about anyone in another party being antisemitic.

We will, of course, continue to work for the equal value of all people. It would, however, be welcome if the Liberals and Malin Danielsson, as well as everyone else in this chamber, could see that there are civilian victims on both sides and that this is a difficult issue, but that we naturally draw a very sharp line when it comes to antisemitism or Islamophobia.

(Applause)

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Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! This is astounding. It would be interesting to know what red lines the Liberals would draw against us that involve antisemitism.

If we are ever to come to grips with antisemitism, it is important that we are clear about where the problems come from. Otherwise, we will never have a chance to forcefully push back against these organizations and the attitudes that exist in society.

There are many reports produced annually investigating which groups antisemitism originates from. Jewish Studies summarizes the report from FRA, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, as follows:

Muslims with extreme views account for 51 percent of threats and hate against Swedish Jews today in Sweden. Left-wing extremist groups account for 25 percent of threats and hate against Jewish groups in Sweden. Right-wing extremists account for 5 percent of threats and hate against Jewish groups in Sweden.

There are many other reports that show exactly the same trends.

With this said, it is very important to emphasize that all forms of antisemitism must be combated. There is no discussion about that matter. But if one constantly goes around the elephant in the room, it is difficult to find a consensus.

Can we agree that the big problem comes from attitudes of people who have grown up in countries with conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic parts that have shaped the culture? Can we agree that the left's struggle against what is called the oppressor legitimizes and creates anti-Semitism? Can we agree that right-wing conspiracy theories about Jews foster hatred towards the Jewish group? Can we agree that groups chanting "Crush Zionism" in the squares also legitimize anti-Semitism? Can we agree that it is problematic for a politician to visit a Hamas meeting and, in a photo, openly embrace a Hamas leader?

If we can agree on these matters, do we have a chance to actually agree on how we are to break the antisemitism in Sweden?

(Applause)

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! Now I thought Alexander Christiansson, Sverigedemokraterna, stood in the speaker's chair and said that this was an imported problem. Or did I hear wrong? Antisemitism is not an imported problem. It exists in Sweden. It has existed in Sweden for a long time. It exists all over the world.

That this comes from a representative of a party founded in White Aryan Resistance, Preserve Sweden Swedish, and neo-Nazism is stomach-turning. I must say it. Do not try, with that background, to smear antisemitism on the Social Democrats!

Since you are now running the government, Alexander Christiansson could, on the other hand, be asked to answer: How are you acting to stop antisemitism and other forms of threats and hate that are now dividing our country?

(Applause)

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Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question. It is entirely correct of Lena Hallengren to describe antisemitism as a problem that has existed in Sweden for a very long time, probably for thousands of years. I would like to assert that there has been antisemitism for almost as long as we have existed here. The Jewish group is a group that is vulnerable, and it has always been so. Lena Hallengren also knows this because the Social Democrats themselves were part of that movement as early as the beginning of the 1900s.

Then it concerns the history of the Sweden Democrats. Yes, we had representatives in our party who had those types of opinions. I regret it. It is something that I myself am not proud of. But the Sweden Democrats in 2023 have nothing to do with antisemitism. We do not pursue any such issues. We have no interests that have to do with antisemitism. It is the opposite, I would like to assert.

It is exactly so: There are attitudes among people who come from the Middle East. If MP Lena Hallengren is not aware of that, we have an even greater problem than the one we are currently standing and talking about.

(Applause)

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! It is not just the Sweden Democrats' history, but it is very much here and now. There are discussions among members with different prominent positions where they deliberate on whether Jews can be Swedes. It is, at least, not something that favors the debate that we are trying to conduct to counter antisemitism.

Israel's ambassador does not want to have contact with the Sweden Democrats. I have understood at least this far that it is due to exactly what I have described. I do not know if Alexander Christiansson has any new information here. Otherwise, it is still correct.

But I want to return to the question. You are now running the government, Alexander Christiansson. How do the Sweden Democrats act to stop antisemitism and other forms of threats and hate that divide our country?

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Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! It concerned the Sweden Democrats' policy when it comes to precisely the minority issue. We have five national minorities in Sweden. What we have said, and what is said, is: If you belong to a national minority, you have a special status in Sweden. It has nothing to do with citizenship or anything of the sort. If one is part of a national minority, one has a special status, and that is how it is. Then one is a Swedish Jew or a Swedish Sámi or a Swedish Finn - or whatever you want of the five national minorities. It is important to emphasize this, and that is what we have talked about.

Then it concerns the imported part, which you mentioned. It is not I who is saying this. It appears in the reports that have been produced regarding where the antisemitism comes from. These are not Alexander Christiansson's opinions. The reports are available to read online. It is almost astonishing that one cannot simply acknowledge this.

(Applause)

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Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! That is where the problem lies, said the Sweden Democrats' representative Alexander Christiansson in an earlier exchange of remarks in this debate.

Antisemitism, Mr. Speaker, occurs in several different groups. It looks different in different time periods. Brå has pointed out in a report that when the Israel-Palestine conflict flares up, it also tends to cause antisemitism from groups with roots in the Middle East to increase here in Sweden. Yes, that is so. But antisemitism exists much more broadly than that - in Nazism, in right-wing extremist groups, in left-wing extremist groups.

My question is: Why is it so important for the Sweden Democrats to tone down those expressions of antisemitism? How does the Sweden Democrats intend to act to counter antisemitism regardless of where it comes from? What does SD gain by pointing out just a certain type of antisemitism and claiming that is where the problem lies?

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Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! It is very good that the question is asked, so that I can clarify exactly what it is I mean.

As I said in my speech, antisemitism must be fought regardless of its form and regardless of where it comes from - right-wing extremism, left-wing extremism, or Islamism. Wherever the antisemitism comes from, it must be fought. There is no discussion about that question. It is clear to me. I will go out on any train and demonstrate against antisemitism. I will do that at any time, any day of the week.

We are talking about surveys - everyone points to the same thing. It is astonishing how much the elephant in the room is ignored by the left side. Is it because one might have a large voter base coming from these areas who have a large amount of emotional capital invested in this conflict and this issue? Is that why it is tolerated that both one thing and the other are chanted out in the streets and squares? This is problematic.

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Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I wonder if Alexander Christiansson has heard what we have said from the rostrum. From the Green Party's side, we condemn all types of antisemitism regardless of where they come from. I and other representatives have given many examples of how the antisemitism that we are now seeing, which is blooming, is completely unacceptable.

But it is the Sweden Democrats and Alexander Christiansson who stand here and say that it is exactly one type of antisemitism that is important to combat. That is where the problem lies, said the member. I assume that the statement is withdrawn in such a case.

For me, Mr. Speaker, it is clear and distinct that we strongly distance ourselves from all expressions of antisemitism. No other party here has said anything else. It is the Sweden Democrats who choose to constantly point out a certain type of antisemitism as the problem in Sweden. That is not the case.

Emerich Roth and other Holocaust survivors have worked tirelessly for decades to highlight the problems of antisemitism and hatred against Jews. That, Mr. Speaker, we shall continue to do, regardless of where they come from. I think it is regrettable that the Sweden Democrats act as they do in this matter.

(Applause)

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Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Amanda Lind - then we are in agreement! We are completely in agreement that all forms of antisemitism, whether it comes from the right, the left, or Islamists, shall be combated and opposed. I said that clearly in my previous answer, and I stand by that point. Our policy and my values teach me to loathe antisemitism, and I will stand against it in all forms it takes.

Once again, it is not I who is saying this, but it is research and reports. Still, one constantly needs to mix up the cards, which makes it very difficult to get to the core: that we have so many people in Sweden today who come from areas where one has grown up with this type of ideas. We cannot address them if we are constantly going to mix up the cards and pretend as if it is roughly the same from all sides.

It is not like that. Those who are shouting out here on the streets are not right-wing extremists.

(Applause)

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Ilona Szatmári Waldau (V)

Mr. Speaker! In a report a few years ago, it was stated that antisemitism has become a platform through which other political battles can be waged. Unfortunately, that is what we see now. "Antisemitism" and "terror romance" are words that are flying through the air, where, above all, representatives of the government parties accuse others of contributing to both the one and the other.

But we do not counter antisemitism by accusing each other of antisemitism where it does not exist. Instead, it fuels antisemitism and fear. We need to unite and work together. Neither Sweden's Jewish population nor the Muslim population deserves to become a battlefield for political bickering.

A study from Brå shows that antisemitic hate crimes are often not reported, partly because the process is difficult, complicated and tedious, and because reported antisemitic hate crimes rarely lead to convictions. A good deal has been done since Brå's report came out in 2019, but there is also much left to do. Therefore, Vänsterpartiet has submitted several proposals on how the work against hate crimes can be strengthened, and in our motion on the work against racism, we specifically address antisemitism in Sweden.

We must together do what we can to once and for all get rid of antisemitism and anti-Jewish sentiments in Sweden. I should not hesitate to stand here at the rostrum before the Swedish people and talk about my Jewish background. The fear of being targeted by antisemitism and hate crimes was about to silence me. But even though the fear is there, I am proud and try to embrace as much as I can of the Jewish history that is mine. Neither I nor those who define themselves as Jews should have to hide their Jewishness, their Star of David, their kippah, or be afraid and insecure in school.

We need to take action now, together.

(Applause)

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Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! The threats and hatred that Jews in Sweden are now experiencing is appalling and completely unacceptable. Jewish children do not dare to go to school. Heavily guarded synagogues resemble besieged places more than places of worship. This is unworthy of the open Sweden that we all cherish.

Antisemitism is, however, no new problem. It has deep roots in Sweden and in Europe. It has existed for a long time. Antisemitism also has roots in the party that is now leading the way and which the government chooses to lean on every day.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has promised to protect Jewish life in Sweden. That is a commitment. But we also unfortunately see that the memorial ceremony for the November pogrom had to be cancelled in Malmö this year, because security could not be guaranteed. This is a monumental failure for all of us and must not be repeated.

Centerpartiet has stated that we want to double and make permanent the support for memorial trips to the sites of the Holocaust. We want to sharpen the social introduction for newcomers with an increased focus on antisemitism. We want to increase the appropriation to Forum för levande historia to ensure more continuing education for staff in preschool and school. We also want to strengthen the school's teaching about the Holocaust. But more must be done.

I want to thank the Liberals for this special debate on antisemitism in Sweden. It has been a valuable debate. I wish from the bottom of my heart that it had not been needed. But most of all, I wish now that all big words can be followed by action so that we can stand here together and say that antisemitism has no place in Sweden and that we were the ones who ensured that it was not allowed.

(Applause)

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Magnus Berntsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The ugly face of antisemitism shows itself again, not only in the Middle East but also in Sweden. In Malmö, we have seen how an Israeli flag was burned outside the synagogue, and the Jewish congregation has felt forced to cancel the memorial service for Kristallnacht. In Gamlestaden in my hometown of Göteborg, "Kill Jews" has been written on walls, and some principals in Göteborg are shocked by how the situation is impacting the classrooms. Unfortunately, there are more examples. That is why it is not strange that there are children who do not dare to go to school.

The government has allocated significantly more resources than previously done to protect synagogues, Jewish schools and other institutions so that one can live an active and safe Jewish life in Sweden. We Christian Democrats also want to relaunch the book *Om detta må ni berätta*. It also needs to be updated with a special section on how antisemitism affects Jews in Sweden today and how modern antisemitism has taken root in Sweden.

We need to have this discussion once more. We must educate all young people and also their parents. I want to repeat what the Speaker of the Knesset, Amir Ohana, said when I met him: I have never used the term "holocaust" for anything other than the Holocaust in my entire life. But on October 7, we experienced a day of holocaust.

Mr. Speaker! I believe we have all uttered the words "never again." But we have failed. We must never fail again.

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! I listened to Magnus Berntsson's speech when he described that the government has now made such large investments. I recall that among the first things that happened in the budget for 2023 was that the money for memorial trips was taken back. The Swedish Committee against Antisemitism was extremely disappointed. There was an outcry throughout the entire Jewish community over the fact that one actually did not see the antisemitism, which is what it is about.

Now some money has been put back. But what has been done for additional measures? It is difficult to discern in the budget.

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Magnus Berntsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I am very pleased that the resources have been put back regarding commemorative trips. But it is significantly more who are involved in financing these trips. When it comes to schools that have a municipal headship, it is important that the municipality is involved in financing in that part as well.

The government has done a lot both before and after October 7, not least regarding protection for Jewish institutions. It has, unfortunately, been necessary, and it is tragic that it was needed.

Now we have heard from the Minister for Culture that after the attitude survey is finished and the report from the investigation that has been mentioned is finished, more measures will be needed. That is what I am convinced of.

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! I am a bit curious about what the government expects from the large attitude survey in order to take more measures. We know that antisemitism increased by 50 percent in October, and that alone should surely call for proposals to be submitted and resources to be mobilized.

Now I heard Member Berntsson say that money was being put back. So it wasn't so much investments, but rather money was being put back that had first been taken away from the memorial trips. Then more were to contribute, namely the municipalities.

I thought that Magnus Berntsson, in his final contribution, would be positive and praise Malmö, which has spent 29 million to ensure that there is an opportunity in schools to talk about something that is difficult for many teachers, namely antisemitism. It is an initiative that specifically Malmö municipality has undertaken. Imagine if all municipalities did as Malmö does!

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Magnus Berntsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Unfortunately, it is after a late awakening from the Malmö municipality's side that these initiatives are now being made, but I welcome them most warmly. In just these initiatives, Malmö is an example. I hope that many other municipalities also act in the issue of remembrance trips.

But there are also many other ways to act. There are other municipalities that are exemplary in how it concerns working so that one feels safe in living an active and true Jewish life. And there are many good examples where we can learn from each other, but unfortunately, the development has for a long time gone in the wrong direction.

I think it is important that we here today clearly establish that we really want people to be able to live an active and true Jewish life in Sweden, not just now but also in the future.

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Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! The Holocaust survivor Emerich Roth, who worked unflaggingly against antisemitism in Sweden, constantly highlighted the importance of education, the importance of knowledge, and the importance of not giving up on dialogue, regardless of what views the students he met in classrooms around the country brought with them.

We must see, Mr. Speaker, that the remedy against antisemitism is precisely education. It is a long-term task, and it requires determination and perseverance. I am proud that during my time in the S-MP government, we took a wide range of initiatives precisely to increase knowledge and strengthen the work against antisemitism. These were investments in memorial trips, the establishment of a museum in memory of the Holocaust, the commissioning of the Inquiry into a national strategy to strengthen Jewish life in Sweden, and much more.

Mr. Speaker! Now it is crucial that we can achieve the broad consensus to strengthen Jewish life in Sweden and implement more measures to counter antisemitism, wherever it comes from.

From the Green Party's side, I want to particularly mention that we need to strengthen the work on hate crimes and the police's capabilities to investigate the crimes committed. We need to resource the preventive work and do more in schools. It is crucial that when the investigation into Jewish life that we commissioned is presented, the measures are also resourced so that there is a real change.

In Sweden, it must of course be possible to live as a Jew – freely. One should never have to hide one's Star of David or be afraid to go to school or work. In the work ahead, it is required that the government shows a national leadership to achieve a broad anchoring for the measures that are needed. Of course, one should be able to live a free life in Sweden as a Jew without being met with antisemitism.

(Applause)

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Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! When I was in high school, neo-Nazis marched in our streets. Skinheads incited hatred and violence. The Holocaust was denied, and antisemitism spread. I participated in torchlight processions together with representatives of the labor movement. It was important to jointly stand against antisemitism. We all thought so.

Göran Persson laid the foundation for Forum för levande historias work against extremism and distributed the book Om detta må ni berätta. It was a book about the Holocaust to Swedish school students in 1998.

Unfortunately, we still need the torch trains today, and unfortunately, we must also speak about the pogrom on October 7. We need decisive action to be taken against antisemitism from both the government as well as the Social Democrats and all other parties. I refuse to believe that the Social Democrats have declared "never again" as long as they have become deaf to the meaning of the message. The fine words must not become just fine words. They need to become action, even when groupings from the left choose to downplay Hamas's barbarity and hide their antisemitism behind a commitment to Palestine. We must be able to condemn antisemitism without any "buts".

I welcome the turnout I see here today. It is needed. Let us now leave here together and jointly stand up for the right to Jewish life in Sweden and stand up against antisemitism.

Mr. Speaker! This November, I want us to show the Jews that they do not stand alone, as they did in 1938. The hatred must be pushed back, regardless of who spreads it.

(Applause)

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! I could have almost pressed the "yes" button during the first half of Malin Danielsson's contribution when she described the beginning of the 90s with the boot-stomping and the torchlight processions, and further that the Social Democratic Prime Minister Göran Persson took initiative in exactly the right direction. We need much more of this.

It is, however, difficult with the double standard that the Liberals are running with. They try to be liberal towards everything that the Sverigedemokraterna stand for and at the same time cooperate with them. Or as Johan Pehrson has said, namely that Åkesson can trust the Liberals. And that is what I am worried about. I wonder what Malin Danielsson and the Liberals want to do to reduce antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism, which actually divides our society, and which could gain broad support in the chamber.

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Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question, Lena Hallengren.

I understand that there is a disappointment that we did not vote your party into the position of Prime Minister this time. But to place a responsibility on us for what other parties do is a bit too much. We must remain anchored in reality and what has happened recently and speak plainly about the antisemitism that we see on our streets and squares today.

In the government, we have taken initiative. We have started a cross-departmental working group with secretaries of state for all government parties. We have allocated an additional 10 million kronor to the Jewish Central Council. Our Minister of Education recently presented a tripling to the Segerstedt Institute, which in the 90s successfully worked against antisemitism and will be successful this time as well.

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Lena Hallengren (S)

Mr. Speaker! I am not extra disappointed with the Liberals, but I believe the voters are disappointed with the Liberals' choices. At least that is how it looks in the polls.

Now Malin Danielsson has described that interdepartmental secretary groups have been established. I like interdepartmental secretary groups that are to work out different proposals very much. But it is not really radical, and it is not that which reduces antisemitism. It is not that which makes more people able to make a pilgrimage of memory.

I think that in the final exchange of remarks I can hear a bit more about how antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism in various forms are being countered. What does the government have on the agenda?

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Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! The Minister, along with others, has clearly accounted for what we are doing here and now. We will need to do much more moving forward. What we see right now is a burgeoning antisemitism that is taking extreme expressions in our country, but when that flare-up has subsided, we will need to work long-term and thoroughly. That work we will, above all, need to do in the school.

I spoke with a grandmother yesterday who traveled 100 miles on October 13 to be there and guard the Jewish school in case an attack happens.

We need to stand up for those people, those students, who today do not dare to stand up for who they are. It is a long-term task. We need to do it together, and the school is the key in that work.

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Ilona Szatmári Waldau (V)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Liberals for the initiative for this important debate; it was something that did not come out in my main speech.

But in this important debate, I must nevertheless ask how Malin Danielsson views cooperation with a party that was founded by Nazis. I do not think we have received any real answer to that.

It is a party that has a chairperson in the Swedish delegation to the OSCE, which the government then allows, which argues that one cannot be Jewish and Swedish at the same time.

One cooperates with a party whose current economic-policy spokesperson was caught on video laughing merrily when he described how his former colleagues, who were open Nazis, kicked dead sheep and pretended they were Jews.

How does this square with the Liberals' commitment against antisemitism?

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Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, member, for the question!

Everyone has a responsibility for their own party. We Liberals take responsibility for our party and for our members. If our members overstep, if our members or members distinguish between people and people, we address it directly.

It is not okay to make distinctions between different people. Everyone has the same value. We have had that discussion for a hundred years, and we will continue to have it for another hundred years regardless of where the prejudices come from, regardless of whether they are dressed in antisemitism or whether they are dressed in Islamophobia. That is our answer on how we will continue to act.

However, I see in the Left Party's statements that everything is being lumped together. You equate antisemitism and Islamophobia. I would like the member to answer that. Do you not see a difference between these two phenomena?

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Ilona Szatmári Waldau (V)

Mr. Speaker! I will begin with the question I received. Yes, Vänsterpartiet sees a difference in that. But we also see that at the same time as we have an increasing antisemitism, we have an increasing Islamophobia in Sweden. We must address both, because as I said in my speech, no one wins by pitting these groups against each other. We win by getting rid of antisemitism, racism, and Islamophobia.

I also note that Malin Danielsson says that a party is responsible for its own party and its own members and not for other parties. But I mean that one must also take responsibility for which parties one cooperates with. There was a time when the Liberals did that, when one took responsibility for which parties one cooperated with. But that time is over, so I think that Malin Danielsson here is trying to evade responsibility for which government and which cooperation partners the party has chosen.

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Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question!

I do not think we are evading any responsibility. I think we have stood up against antisemitism, against Islamophobia and against racism throughout the ages and always.

I was recently questioned by another member in the room because I pointed out a Member of Parliament in the chamber who has close ties to Hamas. I would not "smear" anyone else. I appreciate it if I am not smeared with another party's opinions.

We have taken responsibility for Sweden. We take responsibility for Jewish life in Sweden by allocating funds to the Segersted Institute, to the Jewish institutions, and to the work against antisemitism. We do this in a government that we are proud of.

I do not intend to ask the member how she intends to act when her coalition partners have internal problems. I hope that she does not continue to do so to us either.

(Applause)

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! I want to begin by thanking you for a mostly good debate on antisemitism in Sweden. It is good to hear that there is a large, broad and cross-bloc consensus that this vile expression of threat and hate has no place in our country.

But I also note another thing: Not even when it is specifically antisemitism that is the topic of the day can we stick to that. We must also talk about other types of racism. But the opposite never applies. It is interesting, I think. Sometimes it seems easier to point fingers at others than to manage to see and dare to bear one's own responsibility.

I am proud of what this government is doing. I am proud that we are four parties who have presented a very powerful long-term package to support the Jewish minority in this situation in full agreement on the great need that exists, today but also tomorrow.

(Applause)

The special debate was hereby concluded.

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