The Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities conducted a survey to assess the perceptions of Swedish Jews regarding the situation after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Members of Jewish congregations in Helsingborg, Gothenburg, Malmö, and Stockholm participated, and unfortunately, the results are discouraging. Our hope is that this survey can prompt those in power to take the situation of Sweden’s Jews even more seriously.
The sense of security in openly living with Jewish identity in Sweden has significantly deteriorated in the last month. Over seven out of ten respondents feel that it has become much more insecure.
A majority refrains from displaying Jewish symbols publicly, with more than four out of five expressing insecurity about doing so.
Those who feel that living openly with Jewish identity has become more insecure describe a serious apprehension. The predominant worry is an increased concern about defamation and harassment, but there is also widespread fear of violence, persecution, and even deadly violence.
More than three-quarters believe that the security of living with Jewish identity in Sweden will deteriorate in the coming years. A slim majority thinks that the security will deteriorate significantly.
Eight out of ten state that there are areas that feel unsafe due to antisemitism. Malmö is mentioned particularly, along with suburbs with a large population of Middle Eastern origin, major cities in general, and large gatherings.
A clear majority worries about experiencing antisemitism. There is greater fear that someone in their family will be subjected to antisemitism than for themselves. Three out of four worry about a family member being targeted.
Close to half have discussed moving from Sweden recently, with antisemitism being the overwhelmingly dominant reason.
A majority feels that those in power lack an understanding of the nature and extent of antisemitism in Sweden. Two out of three perceive efforts against antisemitism by Swedish authorities as limited or nonexistent.