World Zionist Org Gives Award to Right-Wing Swedish Activist

Posted on July 16, 2007 by Richard Bartholomew

Martin Rundkvist at Aardvarchaeology helpfully explains the content of a report from the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter:

Starting in 2004, the Department for Zionist Activities of the World Zionist Organization has given the annual Herzl Awards to “outstanding young men and women in recognition of their exceptional efforts on behalf of Israel and the Zionist cause”. One of the prize-winners for 2006 is Swedish 26-y-o Ted Ekeroth, who was rewarded for his activities in Fidim, the Society for Israel and Democracy in the Middle East.

…Ekeroth turned out to be a core member of Sverigedemokraterna, a controversial political party on the brownish edge of the right wing…Looking at the Fidim home page, it turns out that the organisation has a strong anti-Muslim bent.

Apparently the WZO “aren’t very enthusiastic about Ekeroth anymore”.

The Sverigedemokraterna, or Swedish Democratic Party, is profiled at the Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism (based in Tel Aviv):

Sverigedemokraterna (Sweden Democrats – SD) have emerged as the undisputed nationalist alternative on the Swedish political scene. With a nation-wide organization and a disciplined cadre of young activists, the party polled 76,300 votes and gained 50 seats in local councils, more than half of them in the southern Scania district. In a few towns, such as Kävlinge and Landskrona, the SD won almost 10 percent of the vote, eclipsing several traditional established parties. Nationally, the party won 1.4 percent of the vote, thus becoming the single largest party outside parliament.

SD propaganda focuses on three populist themes:

  • Anti-immigrant rhetoric claiming that immigrants are behind most violent crime and that Muslim fundamentalism is a threat to Swedish culture as well as to the Swedish judicial system.
  • Conspiracy theories alleging that mainstream democratic organizations, media and politicians are “betraying” or “selling out” the nation to a foreign “army of occupation” – the immigrants. Much of the rhetoric is directed against individual politicians, such as Minister of Integration Mona Sahlin.
  • Anti-European Union campaigning in which the EU is perceived as a threat to democracy in Europe

Mikael Jansson, the party chairman since 1995, has invested considerable effort into cleansing the fascist image of the party, in order to make it more attractive to populist voters dissatisfied with the mainstream parties.

Jansson was replaced in 2005 by Jimmie Akesson. The Wikipedia entry for the party has further information, much of it culled from Swedish newspapers.

The WZO’s unfortunate award comes just a few months after AIPAC praised Pastor John Hagee for his efforts in support of Israel; Hagee’s paranoid “Illuminati/New World Order/International Bankers” sermons are apparently not a problem. Here’s an example (the words are Hagee’s; I don’t know who’s responsible for the pictures and music).

(Hat tip: Bulldada Newsblog)

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