Davos Message: Jews and Muslims Must Join Forces Against ‘Old Europeans’
A prominent European rabbi has sparked outrage after his remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos. There, he linked criticism of immigration to the fact that “old Europeans” are afraid of “new immigrants” – and called on Jews and Muslims to intensify cooperation against “Islamophobia” and “antisemitism.”
Conference of European Rabbis President Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt has come under fire after a speech at the WEF in Davos, Fria Tider reports .
In his argument, he linked the rise of anti-immigration movements to what he described as the refusal of “old Europeans” to accept “new immigrants.”
“The rise of the far right in many European countries is a response to the insecurity that old Europeans – the so-called old Europeans – feel about the new immigrants from the Middle East,” Goldschmidt said.
He noted that Jews and Muslims share common interests in countering both antisemitism and Islamophobia and called for cooperation among religious leaders.
“Combating Islamophobia and antisemitism is in the interests of both religions. If we do it together, it will be much more effective,” he said.
The SD administrators
The statements have been met with much criticism on social media, including in Sweden.
Christoffer Dulny, former SD (Sweden Democrats) top man and member of parliament, who is critical of SD’s very close ties to Israel, writes on X that Pinchas Goldschmidt is literally the “administrator” of SD.
Dulny also notes that what he calls “the manager of SD in Sweden,” Aron Verständig, chairman of the Jewish Central Committee, is building a similar alliance with Muslims in Sweden.
@chris_af_VP
So these are literally the administrators of the Sweden Democrats.
It is these people with whom Jimmie (SD party leader) and others meet and who travel to Israel, organizing conferences and press conferences.
The Conference of European Rabbis (CER) represents Jewish communities across Europe and often speaks out on issues such as antisemitism, freedom of religion and extremism.