(Daily Star-Lebanon) Ronald S. Lauder - Malmo police say that, of the 115 hate crimes recorded in the city in 2009, 52 were aimed at Jews or Jewish institutions. Anti-Semitism is back, and what is taking place in Malmo is merely an extreme manifestation of what is happening across the whole of Sweden. Swedish mainstream hostility to Israel has clearly begun to cross the line into outright anti-Semitism. A second major issue at play here is Sweden's Muslim population. While all manifestations of intolerance against Muslims must be firmly resisted, it is also vital to recognize the danger that some Muslim immigrants have brought with them from their home cultures: bigotry against Jews and Israel. When mainstream politicians, newspapers, and churches rail against Israel, many Swedish Muslims inevitably see this as a green light for them to unleash their own hostility toward ordinary Jews. They feel that their anti-Semitism is acceptable. The writer is president of the World Jewish Congress.
2010-08-25 07:57:51Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive