Following on the heels of the surprised reaction of a Swedish film board to an American film company’s change in plans, Malmö mayor Ilmar Reepalu is once again lashing out at the Jews, and claiming that this was a personal vendetta.
As we reported, on Tuesday, news broke that a Hollywood film production company had cancelled plans to shoot a movie in southern Sweden. The company’s decision was based on the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s warning to Jews to use “extreme caution” when travelling in the area. The cancellation notice pointed out that as the film had Jewish content, it was inappropriate to use a location which was unsafe for Jews.
The SWC has not rescinded the travel warning, as conditions have not improved since it was issued. So, now Reepalu is slamming the SWC for trying to silence him “again”.
Sydsvenskan reported in its Culture & Entertainment section on the politics Jewish protest:
“Malmö's Mayor Ilmar [Social Democrat] Reepalu believes that the Simon Wiesenthal Center is looking for him personally, not the city of Malmö.”
“Malmö's Mayor Ilmar [Social Democrat] Reepalu believes that the Simon Wiesenthal Center is looking for him personally, not the city of Malmö.”
Reepalu also claims that SWC is spreading “a false image of Malmö”. He also claims that when the SWC came to Malmö six months ago, he had already implemented half of the changes they suggested, and now the rest is done. In our coverage of the meeting between Reepalu and the SWC, we noted that the meeting ended very abruptly, indicating that relations weren’t exactly cordial. Nonetheless, the SWC did meet with a number of minorities, including Muslims and Roma (Gypsies) in the city, and developed an overall plan to promote integration and tackle the issue of rampant discrimination in Malmö.
Sydsvenskan also reports that Reepalu is taking all this personally as a response to his very public and negative criticism of Israel which he made regarding Operation Cast Lead, staged in response to years of Gaza missile attacks on Israel’s civilian population. Says Reepalu:
- “I get a right nasty feeling that the Simon Wiesenthal Center is not really looking for what is happening in Malmö but they want to hang the people who dare to criticize the state of Israel. Are they once again saying I should be silenced?”
The article also says that Reepalu claims “that it is futile to try to act against Simon
Wiesenthal Center. But he does not believe that Simon Wiesenthal Center
warning will scare away more film companies from Malmo.”
Once again, it is the fault of the all-powerful Jews for doing this to the mayor. But, claims Reepalu, “I will never compromise my morals.”
Sydsvenskan also reports that Reepalu is taking all this personally as a response to his very public and negative criticism of Israel which he made regarding Operation Cast Lead, staged in response to years of Gaza missile attacks on Israel’s civilian population. Says Reepalu:
- “I get a right nasty feeling that the Simon Wiesenthal Center is not really looking for what is happening in Malmö but they want to hang the people who dare to criticize the state of Israel. Are they once again saying I should be silenced?”
The article also says that Reepalu claims “that it is futile to try to act against Simon
Wiesenthal Center. But he does not believe that Simon Wiesenthal Center
warning will scare away more film companies from Malmo.”
Once again, it is the fault of the all-powerful Jews for doing this to the mayor. But, claims Reepalu, “I will never compromise my morals.”
Whether Reepalu has either morals or scruples, is a question open to debate. What clearly does have is a strong sense of his own importance, and an easy ability to blame someone else for his failings in the classic language of anti-Semites.
By Chanah Shapira
Whwn will it be clear as crystal to the wider outside world - I have no hopes for Sweden, long renounced it as it is a generally nasty dishonorable place as a whole in my judgement - to look at both this shameful city and its disreputable, disgusting little dictator? This man is a total failure on every front. Most of all his distasteful shrewd calculating politically motivated racism and fanaticism. Who will stop this creep?
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing shameful about Malmö or it Mayor. It is easily one of the most progressive and fair cities in Northern Europe, more so than most American cities I know.
ReplyDeleteI am an American Jew living and working in Malmö.
I know Ilmar Reepalu personally and can vouch that there isn't an anti-Semetic bone in his body. I have dealt with the mayor on many occasions who has always been polite and thoughtful in his responses.
My fellow Jews in Malmö seem not to have encountered the problems cited in this and similar articles in these anti-Muslim journals, over and over the same each time. My sense is that there is a net in-migration of Jews to Malmö, especially those with important professional responsibilities.
If I as a Jew say anything remotely resembling Ilmar's criticisms of Israel -- which echo positions held by most of my Israeli friends, enduring Netanyahu's authoritarian government, elected by the most bigoted of Israel's citizens -- I will be virtually excommunicated for apostasy.
So what. It is mere smoke, signifying nothing. The commingling of politics and religion produces very bad outcomes for all involved. This blather is one result.