Swedish politicians walk in 'kippa march' against anti-Semitism
Some 200 people, including some of Sweden's most high-ranking politicians, took part in a 'kippa march' demonstration in Stockholm.
Donning a kippa like most of the demonstrators and joined by eight other ministers from his cabinet, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he was "very concerned by the fact that a lot of anti-Semitism is being spread around in Sweden as well as many European countries".
The war between Israel and Hamas had aggravated the situation, he told the AFP news agency.
One month after the start of the conflict, the Swedish government said hate crimes with anti-Semitic motives had risen by almost 50 percent in the Scandinavian country.
"I want my government to show that we are very much against that and very much in favour of Jews being able to live their life in freedom and security here in Sweden," he said.
The head of the Social Democrats, former prime minister Magdalena Andersson, also took part in the event.
Israel declared war on Hamas after the militant group's October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities, and saw around 240 hostages taken.
The latest toll from the Hamas government's media office said more than 16,200 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, had been killed.
According to the United Nations, 1.9 million of the Palestinian territory's 2.2 million people have been displaced and are being pushed into "ever-diminishing and extremely overcrowded places in southern Gaza, in unsanitary and unhealthy conditions".
Since the start of the war, Sweden has insisted that "Israel has a right to defence, within the framework of international law".
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Donning a kippa like most of the demonstrators and joined by eight other ministers from his cabinet, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he was "very concerned by the fact that a lot of anti-Semitism is being spread around in Sweden as well as many European countries".
The war between Israel and Hamas had aggravated the situation, he told the AFP news agency.
One month after the start of the conflict, the Swedish government said hate crimes with anti-Semitic motives had risen by almost 50 percent in the Scandinavian country.
"I want my government to show that we are very much against that and very much in favour of Jews being able to live their life in freedom and security here in Sweden," he said.
The head of the Social Democrats, former prime minister Magdalena Andersson, also took part in the event.
Israel declared war on Hamas after the militant group's October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities, and saw around 240 hostages taken.
The latest toll from the Hamas government's media office said more than 16,200 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, had been killed.
According to the United Nations, 1.9 million of the Palestinian territory's 2.2 million people have been displaced and are being pushed into "ever-diminishing and extremely overcrowded places in southern Gaza, in unsanitary and unhealthy conditions".
Since the start of the war, Sweden has insisted that "Israel has a right to defence, within the framework of international law".
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