Strategy to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism in Sweden

Sweden’s first strategy to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism comes at a time of growing insecurity for the Jewish minority. Many Swedish Jews describe antisemitism as the single largest obstacle to fully living a Jewish life in Sweden.

Antisemitism constitutes a threat to both individuals and to our democratic society. As a phenomenon, antisemitism is obvi- ously not a new element in our society. Antisemitism has a unique ability to change into new forms, contexts and places, and has caused fear and restricted the freedom of Jews for many centu-ries. Prejudice and hostility towards Jews have a long history and remain a serious problem in many countries, including Sweden. Hatred, threats and conspiracy theories come from many and widely differing quarters and strata in society. Antisemitism also occurs in various violent extremist environments. Jews have been the target of multiple serious terrorist attacks around the world in the 2000s and the threat level is also high in Sweden. Antisemitism has been on the rise in recent years, especially in digital environ-ments, but also more openly in public spaces. In the context of intensified conflicts in Israel and its neighbouring regions there has been a clear increase in expressions of antisemitism and hate crimes in public spaces in Sweden. These also affect people with no connection to Israel, simply because they are Jewish.

At the same time, a countermovement, or “renaissance”, is also emerging, with a growing interest in Jewishness, both within the Jewish minority and in the majority community. During consulta-tions for the development of this strategy, young Jews spoke of their longing to build a Jewish identity based on Jewish culture and traditions. From the customs, the music, the literature and cuisine, and not from the sense that a Jewish identity is defined in relation to various kinds of threats and hatred. A humble and important plea is often repeated: “you need to start talking about Jewish life, not just Jewish death”. At the same time, ensuring security is fundamental to being able to live a Jewish life in Sweden.

The Government’s work on the strategy has therefore been based on some fundamental principles.

Firstly, the realisation that a strategy for Jewish life must also include strategic action to combat antisemitism. Without effective tools to remove the obstacles and threats faced by Jews who want to live freely and openly in their Jewish identity, no Jewish life can be guaranteed in Sweden.

Secondly, the strategy must be based on the defining features of antisemitism in relation to other forms of racism. Antisemitism shares similarities with other forms of racism, but is characterised, among other things, by the perception of Jews as a dangerous group with a great deal of power – which contributes to threats against Jews coming from multiple quarters and from both the left and right at the same time – and its unique ability to change with the times. Antisemitic ideas largely have historical and cultural roots and are passed on; something which needs to be addressed in particular in efforts to combat the spread of antisemitism.

Thirdly, it is important for a long-term strategy to also recognise how Jews and Jewish life have helped enrich our country, histori-cally and today. This work should be forward-looking, with efforts to both preserve and develop Jewish culture and its languages for future generations.

At the time of writing this strategy, we are celebrating 250 years of established Jewish life in Sweden. It is also the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, which marked the end of the Holocaust – the ultimate example of what antisemitism can lead to. To actively work with remembrance and to have a focus on knowledge and education about antisemitism in the past and present are essential prerequisites for breaking the chain of preju-dice passed down over generations. But strengthening Jewish life and making Jewish life more visible is in itself an initiative to counter prejudice and antisemitism.

There have been strong calls for a strategy for Jewish life and against antisemitism, with the Jewish minority in particular expressing this need. The intention is that this strategy will ensure opportunities for a free and open Jewish life in Sweden in the long term, and that it will accelerate such a development across society during the period 2025–2034.