Previous reporting has dealt with anti-Semitic slogans, support for terrorist organizations and their leaders, and tributes to the terrorist acts of October 7. At Sunday’s pro-Palestinian demonstration in central Gothenburg, an anti-Semitic and violently romantic Arabic song was played over the speakers, praising martyrdom, describing Jews as dogs, and accusing them of desecrating Jerusalem. Aron Verständig, chairman of the Central Jewish Council, tells Doku that the gross anti-Semitism openly expressed on the streets is worrying and that politicians and the public must speak out against it.
Doku has on several occasions reported on how the demonstration marches chanted warlike and anti-Semitic chants and slogans in Arabic such as Khaybar Khaybar Ya Yahud and Israel is Arabic. We have also reported on demonstrators’ open support for terrorist organizations through clothing with tributes to October 7, Hamas bandanas and flags. During several demonstrations, the leadership and invited speakers have paid tribute to both terrorist groups and their deceased leaders and the terrorist acts against Israel on October 7. On the anniversary in 2024, demonstrators gathered at Gustaf Adolfs Torg to pay tribute to the attacks and martyrs with rockets and slogans. A few hundred meters away, a memorial ceremony was held in Gothenburg’s synagogue.
Sunday’s demonstration began with an Arabic song with openly anti-Semitic and violently romantic lyrics. It accuses Jews of desecrating Jerusalem, calls them arrogant and tyrannical, and compares them to dogs. The lyrics glorify martyrdom and armed struggle, which are seen as a religious duty, and call for resistance and violence in the defense of Jerusalem:
Put the keffiyeh on your head and the dagger at your waist. By God, O Aqsa, we have decided on victory
حت الكوفية عالراس وخنجر عالخسر وللا YA اقص عقدنا العزم للنصر
A Jew desecrated Jerusalem, he was arrogant and tyrannical. When the dogs of the world occupied you and your country with soldiers
יהודי דנס קדוש, טגי ואטגבר למא כלאב אלאמ פיקِ ובארזק אשקר
Jerusalem is ours, and the land is ours, and God is with us with his strength
Al-Quds is for us, and the earth is for us, and God is with us
Hold on proud Gaza, the bombings are light. We will avenge the martyrs’ heroes in millions
اسمدي يا غزا العزة القدف بهون رح ناخد بتار الشهدا البطل بمليون
The song has more than 36 million views on the singer’s YouTube channel and he himself posted it on Instagram on October 7, 2023 with the words Victory for Palestine .
– The support for terrorist groups and the gross anti-Semitism that is expressed openly on the streets is worrying. It is important that politicians and the general public speak out against these kinds of perceptions and statements. Recent events, not least in Australia, strongly demonstrate the consequences of not doing so forcefully and in a timely manner, says Aron Verständig, chairman of the Jewish Central Council to Doku.
