Simon Wiesenthal Center Urges Swedish Government to Finance Security of Jewish Community

March 15, 2011

'Jew Tax' is Morally Unacceptable

Stockholm

Senior officials of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a leading Jewish human rights NGO, during a week-long fact-finding mission to Sweden, urged in a series of meetings in Stockholm and Malmo, that the government take over the onerous cost of protecting lives and communal institutions.

L-R: Dr. Samuels; B. Becirov, Director, Malmo Islamic Centre and Rabbi Cooper	L-R: Dr. Samuels, Brigitta Ohlsson, Minister for European Affairs and Rabbi Cooper
	click on photos for hi-resolution

"Sweden intelligence has identified over 400 Islamist radicals and Neo-Nazis," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean. "Coupled with global threats from 'lone wolf' operatives, Jews are a primary target for hate crimes and terrorists."

The Center's call followed meetings with key political, Jewish and Muslim and top law enforcement officials in the Southern city of Malmo, after a spate of anti-Semitic incidents were ignored. These incidents included numerous harassments and intimidation of Rabbi Schneur Kesselman and other members of the Jewish community. As a result, the Wiesenthal Center imposed a 'travel advisory' on Sweden's third largest city in December 2010.

"I told Mayor Ilmar Reepalu, during our hour-long meeting at City Hall that the status quo is intolerable," said Dr. Shimon Samuels, the Center's Director of International Relations. He added, "unless you take the lead in providing protection for all your citizens, the travel advisory will remain in force," Samuels concluded.

The Center's advisory will be up for review this June.

Read Rabbi Cooper's op-ed, "My Shabbat in Malmo" appearing in the Jewish Journal


For more information contact the Center's Public Relations Department, 310-772-2458. Join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter page or mobile device.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400.000 members. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the Latin American Parliament.