Polisen bevakar synagogan vid Betaniaplan i centrala Malmö dagen efter terrordådet i Israel. Arkivbild.1 / 4Foto: Johan Nilsson/TTSedan Hamas terrorattack och Israels efterföljande invasion av Gaza har de antisemitiska hatbrotten ökat lavinartat på flera håll i Europa.
I Sverige har anmälningarna ökat med nära 50 procent.– Det har gått från muntliga hot till mer handling, säger Per Engström vid polisen.Över 1 400 människor, varav majoriteten civila, mördades i Hamas terrorattack den 7 oktober. Ytterligare över 200 – barn, kvinnor och äldre – togs som gisslan och fördes till Gaza. Israel har svarat med att invadera Gazaremsan där över 10 000 civila dödats, enligt Hamasstyret.I Sverige har anmälningarna om hets mot folkgrupp med antisemitiska motiv ökat med 46 procent den senaste månaden, 57 stycken jämfört med 39 månaden innan.– Det är en klar ökning som sammanfaller med hur det ser ut i andra länder. Man ser att det ökar överallt, säger Per Engström, sektionschef på Nationella operativa avdelningen (Noa) vid polisen.I Malmö hittades på söndagen en bombattrapp och ett hakkors utanför en bostad, rapporterar Sydsvenskan.– Vi kan se att det har gått från muntliga hot till mer handling. Det är både hatbrott där man uttrycker hets mot folkgrupp och en ökning av skadegörelse, men det mest anmärkningsvärda är att man nu börjar rikta in sig mot personer och söker upp dem där de bor, säger Engström.
Förenas i judehatHamassympatisörer och delar av den propalestinska rörelsen förenas i sitt judehat med nynazister.– Vi ser två sidor som har enats, och man ser exempelvis högerextremister som deltar i propalestinska demonstrationer.Det finns alltid en viss hotbild mot judiska inrättningar i Sverige. Sedan tidigare är hotet förhöjt med anledning av den höjda terrorhotnivån, men den senaste tidens händelser har förvärrat läget ytterligare, enligt Engström.– Det är hotdrivande mot synagogorna och mot judiska personer. Det är ingen tvekan om att hotbilden har gått upp.Polisen har därför skärpt sin bevakning av judiska inrättningar i storstäderna.Lavinartad ökningÖver hela Europa rapporter
Over 1,400 people, the majority of whom were unarmed civilians, were killed in the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7th. Additionally, over 200 – children, women, and the elderly – were taken hostage and brought to Gaza. Israel has responded by invading the Gaza Strip, where over 10,000 civilians have been killed, according to Hamas.
In Sweden, reports of hate crimes with anti-Semitic motives have increased by 46 percent in the past month, with 57 incidents compared to 39 the month before. ”It’s a clear increase that coincides with what’s happening in other countries. It’s increasing everywhere,” says Per Engström, section chief at the National Operational Department (Noa) of the police.
In Malmö, a bomb hoax and a swastika were found outside a residence on Sunday, as reported by Sydsvenskan. ”We can see that it has gone from verbal threats to more action. There are hate crimes expressing incitement to ethnic hatred and an increase in vandalism, but the most remarkable thing is that people now start targeting individuals and seeking them out where they live,” says Engström.
The increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes has been attributed to a combination of Hamas sympathizers and parts of the pro-Palestinian movement joining forces with neo-Nazis. There has always been a certain level of threat against Jewish institutions in Sweden, and the recent events have worsened the situation further, according to Engström. As a result, the police have intensified their surveillance of Jewish institutions in major cities.
Throughout Europe, reports of more hate crimes against Jews have surfaced. The EU Commission condemned the ”extraordinary levels” of anti-Semitic incidents. In France, home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel and the USA, more incidents have occurred following the Hamas terrorist attack than in the entire previous year, with over 500 incidents recorded between October 7th and 30th, as reported by Politico. From verbal attacks and anti-Semitic graffiti to death threats and assaults.
In the UK, over 1,000 anti-Semitic incidents have been reported since the Hamas attack, compared to 160 during the same period last year, as reported by The Guardian. In London, the police reported 657 incidents in October compared to 49 the previous year.
In Germany, a synagogue was subjected to an arson attack, while Jews had Star of David symbols painted on their doors. Reports from Spain mention attacks on Jewish shops and synagogues, and in Austria, a Jewish cemetery was desecrated.
Similarly, Islamophobic hate crimes are also increasing in several places. In London, the police reported 230 incidents in October, compared to 71 the previous year. The organization Tell Mama, which monitors Islamophobia in the UK, reported that Muslims have been attacked on the streets and accused of being terrorists. In Surrey, the police are investigating an arson attack on an Islamic cultural center.
In Sweden, nine reports of hate crimes with Islamophobic motives have been received in the past month, compared to seven the previous month. ”It’s very few cases. Our opinion is that we have not seen a significant increase on that side at all. And we have not seen the same type of attacks as against Jewish interests,” says Per Engström.
Hate crimes are a collection of crimes committed based on the perpetrator’s negative attitude towards certain people’s characteristics, such as race, religion, or sexual orientation. Hate crime has no specific criminal code, but whoever is convicted, from vandalism to murder, can receive a penalty enhancement if they are judged to have acted based on a hate crime motive. The most common hate crimes are harassment, incitement to ethnic hatred, and illegal threats.
The term ”anti-Semitism” was coined in 1873 by the German Wilhelm Marr and is now synonymous with hate and hostility towards Judaism and Jews as a ”race”. The term comes from Greek anti (against) and Semite, which in this context refers to Jews.
Islamophobia, on the other hand, is a collective term for prejudices and hostility towards Muslims and Islam. The word is a combination of the words Islam and the Greek phobia (fear, dread).
On Saturday, October 7th, the Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas, carried out a coordinated terrorist attack against Israel. Armed Hamas militants broke through the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel in a coordinated manner. Thousands of rockets were fired at Israeli territory.
More than 1,400 people, the vast majority of whom were unarmed civilians, were shot, stabbed, and burned to death. Massacres were carried out in kibbutzim and at a music festival near the border. Around 240 people, including children, have been taken hostage and taken to Gaza by Hamas. A few from the hostages have been released.
The day after what has been described as the deadliest attack on Israel in its history, the Israeli government formally declared war on Hamas. In extensive and sustained bombings, entire areas of the Gaza Strip have been reduced to rubble. Israel has sworn to destroy Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization.
According to the Hamas-controlled health department, over 10,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war. Similarly, the majority are believed to be civilians. The numbers have not been verified by any independent party.
