Anti-Semitism in Greater Scandinavia since October 7th
Photo by Karsten Koehn
“Keep the world clean,” read a protest sign held by Norwegian student Marie Andersen at a pro-Palestine demonstration in Warsaw, Poland on October 21, 2023. The graphic accompanying the words showed a Star of David, a recognized symbol of Judaism, in a trash can. This incident is indicative of a disturbing trend of antisemitic sentiments that have escalated following the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Notably, the Scandinavian region has experienced an unprecedented surge in such prejudiced acts.
Historically, Scandinavia has been no stranger to antisemitism. Until the 17th century, Jews were officially banned from entering Sweden or Denmark. However, the situation changed slightly in the 17th and 18th centuries. King Christian IV of Denmark invited Jews to settle in Glückstadt (present day Germany) in the early 17th century, hoping that they would allow the city to economically flourish and challenge the neighboring Hamburg. Sweden also saw Jewish merchants and courtiers in the royal courts, albeit under restrictive conditions. The 19th century marked the turning point of gradual emancipation. Denmark led Scandinavia by granting Jews full citizenship rights in 1814, followed by gradual relaxations in Sweden and Norway; the 1838 Emancipation Edict in Sweden abolished restrictions on Jewish trade and industry, and Norway fully emancipated Jews by 1851. Despite these legal rights, societal antisemitism persisted, with prejudices manifesting in various ways, including economic competition, religious bigotry, and nationalistic sentiments.
Within Scandinavia, national experiences of Jewish residents varied significantly during World War II. Denmark and Sweden are often praised for their efforts to save Jewish populations; Denmark managed to rescue the majority of its Jewish population by ferrying them to neutral Sweden. Norway, however, under German occupation, saw the deportation and murder of many in its Jewish community. The legacy of World War II’s antisemitism did not disappear in the post-war period, but instead took new forms, including denial or minimization of the Holocaust, and more recently, has been intertwined with tensions around immigration and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Since the October 7, 2023 attacks, Scandinavian countries have witnessed varying levels of antisemitic sentiments. Denmark, in particular, has been affected greatly, reporting the highest levels of antisemitism in the country since the Nazi occupation in 1943. On February 22, 2024, the President of the Jewish Society in Denmark, Henri Goldstein, said that “[Denmark has] seen a violent escalation [in antisemitism], not least fueled by the uncontrolled spread of hatred on social media,” citing that “all 121 incidents were Jew-hatred – and not ‘just criticism of Israel.’” Jews in Denmark have been advised not to wear symbols of Judaism publicly, such as Stars of David, Hamsas, kippahs, or any other indicators of Jewish identity, in order not to expose themselves to the risk of violence. Denmark has even begun deploying troops to protect key Jewish sites throughout the country, with the defense ministry explaining that “armed forces will support the surveillance of Jewish and Israeli sites in Copenhagen.”
These issues are not unique to Denmark. The town of Malmö, Sweden, has witnessed intense levels of antisemitism. An Arabic copy of Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler’s vehemently antisemitic manifesto, was put on display at a public library in Malmö. While library officials stated that the book was likely placed there simply for shock value, community members have been concerned that it reflects greater antisemitic sentiments across the country. In early November 2023 at a synagogue in Malmö, anti-Israel protestors burned Israeli flags and chanted “bomb Israel.'' Shortly after, on the social media platform X, The European Jewish Congress shortly wrote, “Intimidating the Jewish community and blaming them for the events in the Middle East is blatant antisemitism.”
While these antisemitic incidents have troubled Jewish communities, the governments of Scandinavian nations have primarily used their platforms to try to maintain a neutral stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Denmark, which has long engaged in arms exports and trade with Israel, has faced calls from NGOs (namely Amnesty International Denmark, Oxfam Denmark, ActionAid Denmark and Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq) to suspend said trade, as Israel’s lengthy war on Gaza persists. As the fighting continues to rage on, Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish leaders have condemned Israel’s aggressive war strategies and renewed aid to Palestinian aid organizations. Nonetheless, Israel's prominent position in the Western diplomatic arena has prompted these nations to exercise greater discretion in implementing stringent sanctions and issuing statements regarding the conflict in Gaza. These governments have attempted to navigate the difficult line between criticism of Israel’s government, which has become increasingly more prominent as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to defend the war and more casualties occur, and the antisemitic sentiments brewing in their own countries, as well as across the rest of the world.
These recent events highlight a troubling resurgence of antisemitic attitudes across Europe, especially in the Scandinavian countries. Given Scandinavia’s, and the continent as a whole, complex and painful history with its Jewish communities, the latest developments in the Middle East have sparked a wave of hostility in various areas. Whether these incidents will increase in frequency and intensity remains to be seen, but as the crisis in the Middle East continues seemingly without an end, it is likely that antisemitic incidents will continue to occur throughout Scandinavia. The extremely sensitive issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains one that Scandinavian leaders must balance and approach with empathy and care, especially as the war continues to affect individuals on both sides across the world.