How a Swedish Palestinian minister raised controversy with Star of David

What the report says

Simona Mohamsson, Sweden’s minister for education and integration, has drawn attention after wearing a Star of David necklace during a televised political debate in Stockholm this week, ahead of Sweden’s September elections. According to Al Jazeera, she said the gesture was intended to highlight concerns about anti-Semitism and to support Jewish children in Sweden. Mohamsson, who is of Palestinian descent, also used the debate to criticise politicians she accused of helping anti-Semitism grow.

Al Jazeera reported that the necklace prompted both support and backlash. Members of Sweden’s Jewish community described the move as significant, while some commentators and officials reacted sharply online. The article said Valley Ghanem, an adviser in Malmö on Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism, posted hostile remarks about Mohamsson and later said one of her comments had been made in anger and was not meant literally. The reporting also noted that Mohamsson has received online threats following the controversy.

Mohamsson has said Sweden should be a safe place for Jews and that debate over the symbol reflects wider tensions over anti-Semitism, the Gaza war and political criticism of Israel. Al Jazeera said she has largely focused on anti-Semitism in Sweden rather than making extensive public comments on the war itself, though she has called for humanitarian solutions and the return of hostages. The article places the episode in a broader European context, noting that anti-Semitic incidents have risen since the Gaza war began in October 2023.