SWEDEN (VINnews) — Jewish leaders are outraged after police in Sweden granted a woman permission to hold a public gathering outside the Israeli embassy, during which she plans to burn a Jewish Holy Book.
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The woman said in her application that the gathering is a “manifestation for children’s rights in Sweden that are systematically violated.” The event was scheduled to take place at 12 noon Friday in Sweden, and it appears she was planning to burn a Tanach.
Top Jewish figures expressed outrage following the declaration, and this is the second time in two weeks that authorities in Stockholm granted permission for the burning of Jewish Holy Books. A man planned to burn a Jewish Holy Book and Christian book outside the embassy. It was later called off.
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Kosel and the Holy Places in Israel, said: “I am astonished and deeply disturbed by the Stockholm police’s second approval of the burning of the Bible.
“The Swedish authorities’ weak response, merely uttering empty words about freedom, pales in comparison to the heinous actions – both those that have already occurred and those that may come. This is not what freedom should look like; it represents a loss of moral direction.
“I implore the Swedish authorities and all those who cherish human freedom of expression to reconsider.
“There is still time to act. Not for the sake of the scriptures do I make this plea, as they have been burned countless times by those who harbor hatred toward Israel, and no force in the world has been able to prevent it.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said, “I am appalled by the further threat to burn a Torah scroll in Sweden. The threats to harm holy books and Torah books must be stopped.”
He added, “I intend to speak with the Swedish Foreign Minister and make it clear to him that we expect the Swedish government to prevent such events, which could damage relations between the countries.”
Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer described the event as “shameful” and said that it cheapens the sacred value of the Torah and hurts Jews worldwide.
“Unfortunately, the burning of holy books starting with the Quran and ending with the Torah is spreading like wildfire,” a Jewish official in Sweden said, according to J-Post.
“This is a woman who is just looking for attention, [she’s] not sane. We hope she won’t actually burn the book. We are working with the police to clarify that there is no freedom of speech in this case.”
Police spokesman Mats Eriksso said that they are engaging in a dialogue with the organizer and other parties, including the Israeli embassy, to ensure safety during the event.
Most people do not think of Sweden as a country that persecuted Jews.
But it did:
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“I had done some reading about Sweden’s Jewish community.”
“The first officially tolerated Jews immigrated to Stockholm in 1774.”
“Before that, they were only allowed to live in the country if they had been baptized as Christians – a state of affairs formally approved by a parliamentary act of 1727.”
“This demanded that:”
“Jews, drifters, and tinsmiths….be treated as such as to be driven totally out of the nation and not be tolerated evermore therein.”
SOURCE: The Lord Will Gather Me In: My Journey to Jewish Orthodoxy
(chapter 13, bottom of page 244) by David Klinghoffer,
year 1998, published by Free Press, ISBN 0-7432-4267-X
not all Jewish leaders are outraged. jstreet, jewfish voices for peace, yaffed and if not now would beg to differ with that statement.
If it’s not specifically illegal to do this reprehensible act, then there’s no choice but to permit it. Shining a spotlight is counterproductive.