Swedish freedom of speech applies in all situations. That's the message when Korans burn and Nazi marchers take to the streets. But Israeli video art during Culture Night is canceled due to the "security risk"?
Published in Svenska Dagbladet: https://www.svd.se/a/JbWra7/varfor-far-inte-israelisk-konst-delta-under-kulturnatten?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0F9EJjuYazcpPDIOh8CRQ_dm_4cklJZWMbQBjWhfzltVRKB5XJ74oOpD8_aem_AeOcy3lg7mlRs_87dcgOhUN9TjUgr9Q6YNvci7d-YQJYoYg4B3yWx-xKVEKtWkS4uFaXscmbBNdn1LQQkoAad3gd
Last Friday about twenty pro-Palestinian activists marched past Stockholm's Jewish school protesting against the war in Gaza. There was no rioting or threatening behavior and there were plenty of policemen to keep the peace. Still, there were reasons for concern. It's no secret that some pro-Palestinian protesters use antisemitic slogans and exhibits antisemitic behavior. The term "Intifada", for example, is often used in demonstrations and in this context, it means violent resistance against Jews. "Inga zionister I våra gator" is a clear comparison of Zionism and Nazism which is antisemitic according to most experts. And it's not only slogans. Recently, Holocaust survivors were screamed at when they entered Stockholm's Great Synagogue and in Malmö hundreds of people celebrated the October massacre in southern Israel. In this context it's easy to understand why the idea of Pro-Palestinian protesters marching by a Jewish school may seem less than appealing. But freedom of speech is a sacred value in Sweden – it applies at all places, under all conditions and at any risk. If you choose to shout that Israel is a "butcher of small children" (små barn slaktare), you're entitled to so even near Jewish children. That's what Swedish democracy is all about.
Unless, of course, you're Israeli. At least that's how it seems in Stockholm's culture world. As part of Stockholm's Kulturnatten, the Israeli embassy, like other embassies, planned a cultural event – a video art gallery presenting works by three female Israeli artists focusing on female figures presenting various interactions with nature. Just to be clear – the works are not political; they were created before the current war and the plan was to have them projected on the wall of a building adjacent to the embassy. That way, viewers don't have to enter the embassy or even get particularly close to it. They just pass by on the street, viewing from a public space. Being entirely in the spirit of Kulturnatten, Stockholm Stad approved the project and published it in the event catalogue. Then, a week ago, the Stockholm officials changed their minds and the Israeli project was suddenly taken off the program.
Why this sudden change of hearts? Could it have something to do with social media campaigns, anti-Israeli sentiments and the fact that Israel isn’t the most popular country in certain circles these days? "Varför låter ni Israel utnyttja Kulturnatten för att flytta fokus från det pågående folkmordet och försöka rentvätta sitt anseende med kulturens hjälp?" (Why do you allow Israel to use Culture Night to shift the focus from the ongoing genocide and try to clean its reputation with the help of culture), this was part of a social media campaign launched on April 3rd by Palastinagrupperna. It's hard to say what effect the campaign had on Stockholm decision makers, but one thing is clear – less than a week after it was launched City Hall cancelled the event it previously approved.
When I asked Stockholm Stad, why the event was taken of the program, the answer was clear: "The decision to not market/promote the program was made entirely on the basis of the security situation and public safety". A City Hall spokesman also explained that "the heightened threat towards Israel and the decision by the State of Israel to close the embassy on April the 5th, changed the risk assessment. Answering my question, he admitted that there have been comments on social media and that emails asking for the Israeli event not to be included were received, but the "security situation" was the only reason for cancelation.
"We expect the city of Stockholm to reverse its discriminatory decision", an Israeli embassy official told me, "they can exclude us from their program but it won’t stop Israeli culture. We've been through worse and will continue to thrive". The official added that even though the program was canceled by Kulturnatt, it will still be presented as planned. It's important to point out that the cancelation decision was made by Stockholm Stad, not by SÄPO or the Police which Stockholm Stad says has no jurisdiction in this case. Instead, city officials based their decision on a press report saying that Israel recently decided to close its Stockholm embassy. It's unclear how this partial and unofficial information is relevant, since the art exhibition was planned to take place outside the building in an entirely public space. The result however is clear – while embassies and cultural institutions of countries from Hungary to Mongolia will officially be part of the city festivities, Israel will show its art without being included in the party. If Stockholm decided to be part of the international BDS bullying movement, it can at least say that's what it's doing. instead it's hiding behind claims of "security situation".
Time and again has Sweden preached to the world that freedom of speech doesn't work only when it's convenient. Rasmus Paludan was allowed to burn Quran books upsetting thousands of believers and endangering Sweden's NATO application and national security. Neo-Nazis are regularly allowed to march through Swedish streets and radical Islamist can arrange rallies and publish propaganda. Does Stockholm Stad really want to tell us that all these are worth taking the risk for in the name of democracy and free speech, but the art of three Israeli women isn't?
דיויד סטברו 