Task force for Jewish life in Sweden meets at Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention
Published
On Friday 10 October, the ninth meeting of the Government’s Task Force for Jewish life in Sweden took place, this time at the National Council for Crime Prevention. Representatives from the Living History Forum and the Segerstedt Institute were invited to speak.
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The National Council for Crime Prevention General Director Jonas Trolle welcomed the task force.
Photo: Magnus Liljegren/Government Offices
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Anne Bernes from the Living History Forum talked about a new knowledge overview of the spread of antisemitism online.
Photo: Magnus Liljegren/Government Offices
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Christer Mattsson of the Segerstedt Institute talked about an upcoming report on how antisemitism is measured.
Photo: Magnus Liljegren/Government Offices
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The Task force for Jewish life in Sweden during the meeting.
Photo: Magnus Liljegren/Government Offices
The meeting began with National Council for Crime Prevention General Director Jonas Trolle welcoming the task force and outlining the government agency’s activities.
Ann Bernes from the Living History Forum then talked about a new knowledge overview of the spread of antisemitism online carried out by the Swedish Defence Research Agency. The study is part of a government assignment, for which the Living History Forum is tasked with producing a knowledge overview of the spread of antisemitism online and measures to counteract it.
The group then heard Christer Mattsson of the Segerstedt Institute present preliminary results from an upcoming report on how antisemitism is measured.
Chair of the Jewish Youth Association Daniel Janouch also summarised its report on antisemitism at Swedish higher education institutions entitled We are not welcome here – Jewish students’ and employees’ experiences of insecurity and antisemitism at Swedish higher education institutions since 7 October 2023. Daniel reported that nine out of 10 respondents stated that the sense of security and the possibility to live openly with a Jewish identity at higher education institutions has deteriorated since 7 October 2023.
The Task Force also received a status update from the Ministry of Culture on the continued efforts to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism within the new national strategy.
Task force for Jewish life in Sweden
The Government’s Task Force for Jewish life was presented in January 2023. It is an interministerial working group tasked with collaborating and conducting dialogue on preventive measures and efforts to improve the conditions for Jewish life and prevent and combat antisemitism in Sweden. The Government’s efforts to combat antisemitism are a priority and focus on three areas: education, increasing the safety and security of Jews in Sweden, and fostering Jewish life in Sweden.
The task force is led by State Secretary to the Prime Minister Johan Stuart and also includes state secretaries from several different ministries. The task force includes three civil society organisations: the Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities, Judiska Ungdomsförbundet (the Jewish Youth Association) and the Jewish Committee Against Antisemitism. Representatives of relevant government agencies, organisations and other experts also take part.
National strategy to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism
The Swedish Government has adopted a national strategy to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism. This strategy will provide a structure for national efforts in the period 2025–2034. The objective is to lay the foundations for more targeted and coordinated efforts and create better conditions for Jewish life in Sweden.
