NEW YORK – World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder is highly appreciative to Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven for his public pledge to preserve Holocaust memory and fight the prevalence of antisemitism in Sweden and in other countries, including endorsement of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition with guiding examples, as expressed in the prime minister’s op-ed published on Tuesday in Yedioth Aharonot.
“Prime Minister Löfven has proven throughout his tenure to be a friend and ally of the Jewish people, both in Sweden and at large, and I commend him for publicly outlining his pledge to contend with the resurgence of one of the greatest scourges ever to face Europe,” said WJC President Ronald S. Lauder. “Sweden’s endorsement of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s universal working definition of antisemitism and its examples, which originated with the Stockholm Declaration of 2000, is an important step forward as we strive to address this global epidemic through a network of committed partners from around the world.
“The unfortunate truth is that Sweden has experienced drastic growth in antisemitic expression and activity in recent years, a fact that has even left some of its Jewish residents reconsidering whether they and their families can have a future in the country which only decades before became a haven to their parents and grandparents, having suffered Nazi atrocities,” Lauder said.
“The World Jewish Congress has been in regular contact with Prime Minister Löfven to express our concern on behalf of the Swedish Jewish community during a number of incidents that seriously threatened Jews in Sweden, including incitement provoked by the Nordic Resistance Movement throughout the country,” Lauder said. “The prime minister has been a receptive and sincerely concerned partner and we expect that this productive relationship will continue in the months and years to come, including as we prepare for the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism that will take place this coming October 26-27.”