17-18 March saw our annual Strategic Dialogue for Jewish leaders from across Europe take place in Stockholm. This tightly focused Forum represents a key decision making part of our Association, discussing in depth shared challenges and key advocacy goals going forwards.
We listened to one another about the situation in each country, gaining insight into the realities on the ground, the feelings within the communities, and how different governments are responding. In addition, we agreed by vote on two principal areas of advocacy activity to safeguard Jewish life on the Continent:
- Banning the Muslim brotherhood, the IRGC and other terrorist proxies that treat European Jewry as a soft-target in their ideological war againt Jews and Israel.
- The establishment of a Europe-Wide Special Protected Minority Status for Jewish Communities, ensuring that a common position is established that transcends politics, elections and any prevailing political vicissitudes. In short, Jews are protected by an agreed trans-national framework law on a number of fronts: security, education and freedom of religion to name but three.
These two principal goals will be taken to our Annual Conference Plenary in on April 15-16 in Brussels.
Our stockholm meeting saw us meet a number of Swedish dignitaries, amongst them
Jakob Forssmed, Sweden’s Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health where we expressed our thanks for his strong support for Jewish communities in Sweden, his clear commitment to combating antisemitism, and his efforts to protect Jewish life.
At a dinner within the Stockholm Jewish Community’s stunning buildings, We were alos honoured to present the EJA King Solomon Award to Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Sweden’s Minister of Civil Defence. The award reflects his leadership, his courage to see reality and call it out clearly and above all to act.
Finally, within Sweden’s Parliament, we received a detailed briefing from Israel’s Ambassador to Sweden Ambassador Ziv Nevo Kulman who outlined the challenges and opportunities that come with his important role.
The strategic dialogue meetings took place in the impressive and inspiring Bajit, the Jewish centre that represents the beating heart of Jewish life in Stockholm.