Threats Against Sweden’s Jews Double After Paris Attacks
Violent anti-Semitic threats against Sweden’s 20,000 Jewish community have doubled since the Paris terror attacks, a community rep. said.
The number of threats against Swedish Jews has doubled since the Paris attacks and the killing of four people in a kosher supermarket, a representative said Thursday.
“The threats have at least doubled in Sweden,” Lena Posner-Koeroesi of the Council of Jewish Communities told AFP.
Security has been increased around Jewish institutions, particularly in the capital Stockholm, police spokesman Lars Bystroem said.
Sweden has previously drawn international criticism for not taking threats to its Jewish community seriously.
“Saepo (the Swedish security service) and the police believe that we must have more protection and they are usually scrupulous in deploying their resources,” Posner-Koeroesi said.
“They show a good understanding of our situation. That is important because members of the community are worried,” she added.
Last month, Bjorn Soder, the deputy speaker of the Swedish parliament caused an outrage by suggesting that Jews living in Sweden should leave their Jewish identities behind if they wish to be considered Swedes.
There has been a notably sharp rise in anti-Semitism throughout Europe in recent months, particularly during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza last summer.
According to the Council of Jewish Communities in Sweden, half of the country’s 20,000 Jews live in Stockholm.
