1,200 people attend pro-Israel rally in Stockholm
Swedish capital hosts rare demonstration of solidarity with Israel; ceremony ends with crowd chanting Hatikvah
Some 1,200 people gathered in the main square in Stockholm Sunday, in for a rare, pro-Israeli rally.
The rally was organized by Annika Rothstein, 31, a Swedish Jew and the author of a pro-Israel blog. Several pro-Israeli organizations assisted her in organizing the rally.
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Jonathan, who serves as the Jewish Agency's envoy in Sweden, told Ynet that this is the first event of its kind in seven years.
The rally (Photo: Yigal Nissel)
"The last time we had something like this it was in a small location. This time we decided to hold the rally in a central venue.
We spread the word on Facebook and through the United Israel Appeal, local student unions and the World Zionist Organization," he said.
Several pro-Palestinian activists rallied nearby, waving Palestinian flags.
(Photo courtesy of WZO)
WZO CEO Eitan Bachar said that "This is the first time in a decade that Sweden is holding any event of this kind, certainly in such a central location."
Several pro-Israel activists spoke during the ceremony, which ended with the crowd chanting the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah.
Mid August saw several hundreds of Swedish Jews and pro-Israel supporters march in Malmo, in the southernmost province of Scania, to raise awareness to the growing anti-Semitism in the area.
Willy Silberstein of the Swedish Committee Against Anti-Semitism, who organized the march, said that the event was impressive: "Turnout exceeded our expectations, especially when the majority of people weren’t Jewish."
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