In the week, the Jewish Central Council had a board meeting where the issue of the Left Party's continued exclusion was discussed. The discussion was brief and undramatic, according to Verständig. And the council, which includes all Jewish congregations in the country, saw no reason to change the decision made in October.
We see that more needs to be done, says Aron Verständig.
The Jewish Central Council has excluded the Left Party from its memorial ceremonies since October after several cases where the party's local politicians made anti-Semitic statements or expressed support for terrorist organizations. Several of them have since been expelled from the party, and the council has also had meetings with the Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar and other party representatives.
I got a good impression of Nooshi Dadgostar, and I believe she takes this seriously. But at the same time, we have seen that quite a few people, and entire boards, have expressed support for these individuals who later had to resign, says Verständig.
"The problem is deeper"
According to Verständig, the problem of anti-Semitism in the Left Party is deeper than just excluding a few individuals.
It's not about us thinking they should exclude more people, but that they, for example, need to develop an action plan or educate, he says.
The Left Party's party secretary Maria Forsberg regrets the Jewish Central Council's position.
I think, just like before, that they are wrong in their description of us. The Left Party works every day against Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza, but we have no room for anti-Semitism, she says.
"Have reacted"
According to Forsberg, it's about a few individuals who have done wrong.
When it has happened, we have also reacted, and we have continuous anti-racism training. Since Gaza, we have also updated the parts concerning anti-Semitism. This is an ongoing work that we have always worked with.
The next major Jewish memorial ceremony is on January 27, which is the Holocaust Remembrance Day.
For several years, there has also been a decision that the Sweden Democrats are not welcome to the memorial ceremonies. There is no discussion in the board about changing that decision.
