Raising awareness of antisemitism in Sweden

Antisemitism, grey areas, or legitimate critique of Israel? A study of commonly used terms in the debate about the Gaza war.

Responsible: Anders Persson
Publication form: Report in the Segerstedt Institute's report series

The report will study several terms (around 15) related to the current war in Gaza. The focus will be on terms that are used in a Swedish context or are relevant for it. Beginning with a short research-based discussion around how antisemitism is best defined, the report then proceeds to explain, put in context, and evaluate the chosen terms. Examples includes terms like “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, crush Zionism and globalize the intifada. Other term that many find difficult include antizionism, one-state solution, BDS, apartheid, plus calls for Israel not to exist. Moreover, in the ongoing war in Gaza, there are accusations that Israel is committing a Holocaust, a genocide or ethnic cleansing in Gaza that are also analyzed.

Anti-Semitism and civic orientation for newcomers: Experiences and counter strategies

Responsible: Robin Andersson Malmros
Other researchers: Christer Mattsson & Isabella Pistone (if needed)
Publication form: Short report in the Segerstedt Institute's report series & journal article

The study aims to map and analyze perceptions and experiences of anti-Semitism in civic education by studying existing teaching materials and interviewing civic educators or equivalent. On the basis of this study, problems and knowledge gaps can be identified, which will guide future methodological development in civic education. Data consists of documents (primarily existing training material) and interviews with community counselors or equivalent. In the document analysis, the focus will be on analyzing how antisemitism is or is not described, as well as in which educational context (e.g. within which theme) antisemitism is discussed. In the interviews, the focus will be on mapping and analyzing: (1) what perceptions of antisemitism exist among the community counsellors; (2) what experiences they have of encountering antisemitism and; (3) what pedagogical strategies they use when they a) discuss antisemitism as a theme and b) encounter antisemitic attitudes. A reasonable number of participants in the interview study is approx. 25 community counselors distributed over just over five municipalities.

Jewish life on the internet before and after 7/10: A case study of a Jewish youth organization

The Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on October 7, 2023 was a shock not only to the Israeli population but also to Jews around the world. This study is based on the view that there is a need for knowledge about Swedish Jews' experiences of the time after the Hamas terrorist attack. The Internet and social media have helped to create new communities for Jews and are used for learning about Jewish issues and for conveying knowledge about Jews and Judaism to the surrounding society. At the same time, research shows how social media are used to disseminate antisemitic content by both individual and political actors, from right-wing, left-wing and extreme Islamist environments, and how the algorithms that influence what is displayed on the platforms contribute to the capture and reinforcement of antisemitic messages. Since the terrorist attack, hatred against Jews has increased significantly on social media. The overall aim of the study is therefore to increase knowledge about Swedish Jews' experiences of being active on the Internet in the period after the Hamas terrorist attack and the subsequent war. A more specific purpose is to increase the understanding of what happens on social media and how this affects Jews and Jewish life in Sweden. In this study, we will contribute to these purposes through a qualitative case study of a Jewish youth organization, their work with social media and their experiences of this work after the Hamas terrorist attack on 7/10 and the subsequent war.

Jewish life in Sweden after 7/10: Experiences, thoughts and emotions

In the wake of the attack and in the context of the war between Israel and Hamas that began in the wake of the attack, terrorist groups have called for violence not only against Israeli institutions abroad but also against Jewish targets in general. Previous research has shown that there is a link between wars and conflicts in the world and hate crimes, and that both the wars in Gaza in 2009 and 2014, as well as previous flare-ups of the conflict, have had a trigger effect for anti-Semitic hate crime. Even today, the news media report increased anti-Semitism around the world in connection with the events in Gaza, including in Sweden. However, our understanding of how Jews in Sweden have experienced the time after the Hamas terrorist attack is still limited to journalistic reports or individual statements. The purpose of this study is to try to create a more systematic and broad understanding of how the terrorist attack and its aftermath have affected Jews in Sweden. This includes exploring Swedish Jews' own experiences, thoughts and feelings related to the public debate, demonstrations, discrimination, hate crimes and other events after 7/10.

The study is based on data from a broadly targeted qualitative questionnaire and approximately 50 in-depth interviews conducted with a strategic selection of informants. The informants have different ages, express their Jewish identity in different ways and live in different places in Sweden. Through a qualitative analysis of the questionnaire and interview responses, we will answer questions such as: How have Jews in Sweden experienced the attack on October 7, 2023 and the related events and Israel's war against Hamas? How do they describe their own responses, experiences, thoughts and emotions in connection with the events? In what way can patterns in these experiences, thoughts and emotions be discerned and what connection can be made with other factors, such as social and cultural (Jewish) identity, stories and collective memory?
 

The war between Israel and Hamas in the Swedish press: A framing analysis?

The war between Israel and Hamas has resulted in massive media coverage. It is a well-known fact that crises are events that are attributed to different causes and attributes. Through press coverage, people can inform themselves about the crisis and analyze cause and responsibility. Previous research has shown that the way in which the reporting of various wars in the Middle East is framed affects how readers perceive them. By making a selection of what is included and excluded in the reporting, the media shape the narrative of the events, i.e. the media limit and define the meaning of the narrative and thus shape the public's interpretation. The Swedish media coverage of the war between Israel and Hamas is a subject of debate in Sweden. Several voices in the debate, both in more established media and on social media, have argued that media coverage is skewed and tends to take, depending on who you ask, either a too pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian perspective. The purpose of the study is to contribute with new knowledge about how the news coverage of the war between Israel and Hamas has looked since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 and what consequences the reporting has for our understanding of the war. The study analyzes newspaper articles from the news press published during the period 7/10 2023 -1/9 2024 through a framing analysis that focuses on how problems are presented, what solutions are proposed and how these are justified. By highlighting and articulating different discursive patterns that contribute to framing, the study will contribute to building a more solid empirical ground for debates on media coverage of the war between Israel and Hamas.

Info coming soon...