Uppsala meeting of task force for Jewish life in Sweden

SWEDEN, October 1 - Representatives of Judiska Ungdomsförbundet (the Jewish Youth Association) participated in the meeting and provided an up-to-date overview of antisemitism in schools and on social media. The situation is serious and many Jewish school students encounter various forms of antisemitism, particularly on social media. This view was reinforced by representatives of the Nordic countries’ World Jewish Congress and the Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities. 

“It is completely unacceptable that Jewish schoolchildren in Sweden feel unease about going to school and are harassed there or on social media. We need to mobilise society’s collective efforts in order to reverse this negative trend. That’s why it’s extremely valuable that we have this task force,” says the Prime Minister’s Secretary of State Johan Stuart. 

Following the task force’s meeting, participants were given the opportunity to join as audience members during an informal roundtable discussion on how to combat antisemitic hate crime in the Nordic countries with Chair for the World Jewish Congress Ronald S. Lauder andthe Chair for the Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities, Aron Verständig, as well as representatives of the Government and Nordic Council of Ministers. The meeting was organised by the Swedish Ministry of Justice within the framework of Sweden’s Presidency of the Nordic Council.

The Government’s task force for Jewish life was presented in January 2023. It is an interministerial working group tasked with collaborating and conducting dialogue on preventive measures and efforts to improve the conditions for Jewish life and prevent and combat antisemitism in Sweden. The Government’s efforts to combat antisemitism are a priority and focus on three areas: education, increasing the safety and security of Jews in Sweden, and fostering Jewish life in Sweden. 

The task force is led by State Secretary to the Prime Minister Johan Stuart and also includes eight state secretaries from six different ministries. The task force includes three civil society organisations: the Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities, Judiska Ungdomsförbundet (the Jewish Youth Association) and the Jewish Committee Against Antisemitism. Representatives of relevant government agencies, organisations and other experts also take part.