On Wednesday, he visited Malmö, which previously received a lot of negative attention due to problems with anti-Semitism.
The work against anti-Semitism is a priority issue for the government, says Kristersson.
“We know quite well which groups are problematic,” says the prime minister.
He points to neo-Nazis, some left-wing extremists, Islamists and “a not very small” group of people with roots in the Middle East who “cultivate hatred against Israel” and hold Jews in Sweden responsible for what is happening in the Middle East.
“We have to talk openly and honestly about all of this,” says Kristersson.
Teachers are questioned
He points out that many teachers are questioned by students when they teach about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. Therefore, the grant is now doubled to SEK 900,000 for further education for teachers and principals on, among other things, the history of anti-Semitism.
“We must have really talented teachers who can teach in environments where such teaching is questioned,” says Kristersson.
In Malmö, he visited the Malmö Synagogue, which has a congregation of around 500 members. It has set up a knowledge center to counter anti-Semitism. There they receive school classes to talk about Jewish life and traditions. Discussion groups are also arranged there to discuss, for example, what anti-Semitism is and what can be done to prevent it.
— We create a breeding ground for understanding. I think that school classes learn and take something with them from here, says the Jewish congregation’s information officer Fredrik Sieradzki.
Good support
According to him, there is great interest from the schools. Sieradzki also thinks that the support from the municipality is good. Among other things, the city of Malmö organizes commemorative trips so that the Holocaust is not forgotten and supports teachers with tutoring.
TT: Do you personally feel that it is easier to be a Jew in Malmö today than a few years ago?
— Yes, I actually think so. But some would say that it doesn’t matter that we’ve been seen so much, while others say that it does, says Sieradzki.
He praised the previous government’s efforts against anti-Semitism when Kristersson came to visit.
— We will follow through and expand, Kristersson replied.