‘Pigs are better than Jews’: Israeli reporters met with antisemitism and October 7 denial in Sweden
The two Channel 12 reporters were also warned by security guards outside a mosque that a bombing attack would take place during Eurovision to hit Israelis
Antisemitism, spitting, threats and denial of October 7. This is what two Israeli reporters were met with on the streets of Malmö in Sweden as they visited the city ahead of this year’s Eurovision.
Malmö is one of three cities in Sweden with the largest Muslim population and has been a focal point for Swedish police for years due to widespread crime.
Ohad Hemo and Elad Simchayoff from Israel’s Channel 12 visited a market in the Swedish town where they confronted Arab speaking workers about the war between Israel and Hamas.
“We want to slaughter Israel with a knife. Hamas slaughtered? You always turn a lie into truth. You are a people of lies. When Allah created you he did it on a lie. You don’t have the right to exist,” one man shouted at Hemo who speaks Arabic.
Svin er bedre end jøder, massakren d.7 oktober er propaganda, og Israel skal destrueres. Det er et udpluk af de holdninger to israelske journalister møder under deres besøg i Malmö forud for Eurovision. De bliver truet og spyttet på da de deltager i en pro-Palæstina demo.… pic.twitter.com/TMfHjiY3uG
— Jotam Confino (@mrconfino) April 11, 2024
What happened on October 7 was “legitimate” added another man, claiming that “Hamas didn’t kill or rape. All of this is not true. It’s all a lie. Hamas took prisoners, I admit that.”
“Monkey and pigs have more respect than they do. Pigs are much better than Jews. If it were up to me, there would be no Jews left on this earth,” he added.
When they attended one of the pro-Palestinian rallies in the city, the reporters were spat on and threatened, with police having to protect them.
“I hope they kill you all,” shouted one of the demonstrators as the crowd were chanting against “genocide” in Gaza.
Another participant of the rally said that some 40,000 people are expected to protests during Eurovision, “coming from all over Sweden.”
When the reporters began speaking to security guards outside a mosque, they warned them not to go to Eurovision this year.
“Don’t go there. They will blow it up because there will be Israelis there. Please don’t tell anyone,” the security guard said.
Israel’s National Security Council issued travel warnings to Israelis last month, warning that those attending Eurovision in Sweden “should not flaunt their Zionism,” according to Haaretz.
The advice, Haaretz reported, includes: “Refrain from visiting crowded places such as malls and markets, as well as sites associated with Jews or Israelis; be vigilant in public places; refrain from exhibiting ‘Israeli’ characteristics and avoid revealing details of the trip beforehand and during the vacation.”
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