Dadgostar says she could wear Star of David in support

Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar says the party’s engagement with the issue of Palestine may have attracted people with antisemitic views. In SVT’s interview programme Utfrågningen, she said she could wear a Star of David in support of Sweden’s Jewish minority.

“Yes, I could do that, as support for the Jewish minority in Sweden,” Dadgostar said.

Expressen recently reported that the Left Party had removed 25 candidates from its electoral lists. Some of those candidates had expressed antisemitic views and praised terrorism.

“They could not represent us. What they published on their channels does not reflect what we believe or what we have decided,” Dadgostar said.

Dadgostar rejected comparisons with cases involving Sweden Democrats representatives who hold far-right views. She said the Sweden Democrats had racism as their only political idea.

She said she was deeply affected by the hate and threats received by Liberal Party leader Simona Mohamsson after Mohamsson wore a Star of David during a party leaders’ debate. Dadgostar said she was not Jewish herself and that wearing the symbol could sometimes be perceived negatively, but added that she would do so to support Sweden’s Jewish minority.

On Thursday, Sweden’s Security Service opened a preliminary investigation into threats received by Mohamsson in connection with her wearing the symbol.