In Sweden, the Minister of Education Wears a Star of David as a Sign of Solidarity

One of the most striking moments of Sweden’s election campaign came during Monday night’s televised party leaders’ debate, when Simona Mohamsson, leader of the Liberal Party and Sweden’s Minister for Education and Integration, appeared wearing a Star of David.

Mohamsson was born… pic.twitter.com/JXzhOXu0lp

— Daniel Schatz (@drdanielschatz) August 18, 2026

Sweden is experiencing, like so many European countries, a wave of antisemitism; the many Muslim migrants that the country has taken in are fueling it. But one migrant, Simona Mohammson, Sweden’s Minister of Education, and an ex-Muslim, in a sign of solidarity with Swedish Jews has been wearing a Star of David. More on this unusual woman can be found here: “Boy George Isn’t Alone: Watch a Muslim-Born Swedish Politician’s Courageous Stand for Jews,” by Aaron Hanscom, PJ Media, August 19, 2026:

After the December 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack in which 15 people were shot and killed during a Chanukah celebration, Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch delivered a powerful message of support for the Jewish people. She stated that the massacre in Australia was a warning about how dangerous “globalize the intifada” rhetoric can become. Busch also said that with the rapid rise of antisemitism throughout the world, even wearing a Star of David can put one in danger and that Jews have a right to live safely in Sweden.

Since she made those remarks, the situation for the Jewish community in Sweden, which at 20,000 people is the largest in Scandinavia, has only gotten worse. The Swedish Union of Jewish Youth released a report after October 7, “We Are Not Welcome Here,” containing findings from a survey of Jewish students and university employees. A shocking 90% of respondents said they felt that safety at universities had gotten worse since October 7, and 70% had low or very low confidence that societal institutions could help them if they experienced antisemitism.

That antisemitism was on display at a July 2025 anti-Israel protest held in the city of Umeå. Hanging from gallows were mannequins dressed in Nazi concentration camp uniforms with Stars of David and prisoner numbers on them. A banner with the words “Genocide is genocide is genocide” was prominently displayed, and of course the “baby killer” lie was represented by a figure wearing a keffiyeh and holding a baby doll, surrounded by Palestinian flags.

And where is most of this antisemitism coming from? Suzan Quitaz answered that question in a 2024 piece for the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs:

Numerous studies and surveys have shown there is a correlation between Islamism and the rise of contemporary antisemitism in Western societies, including Sweden. In regards to Sweden, Islam, in a short time, has become the second biggest religion in Sweden. Approximately 20% of Sweden’s 10 million population are of non-Swedish origin; according to some estimations, 810,000 Muslims live in Sweden.¹⁵ Sweden, like other European countries, has experienced a massive surge of refugees and immigrants since 2010. The majority of them were Muslims. Between 2014 and 2016, Sweden was second after Germany in taking in refugees, mainly Syrians fleeing the civil war; it took in over 200,000, with 77% being Muslims.¹⁶

The civil war in Syria is over. Will the Swedish government now return the tens of thousands of Syrian “refugees” to their country, as they no longer have cause to fear being caught in an ongoing war?

Amid this surge in antisemitism, a Muslim-born Swedish politician’s bold action this week takes on added significance. The leader of Sweden’s Liberal Party, Simona Mohamsson, wore a Star of David necklace during a debate with party leaders Monday. “I wear the Star of David for the children who do not dare to in today’s Sweden,” Mohamsson, who is also Sweden’s minister of education, said. Daniel Schatz, author of Sweden’s Relations with Israel and the Palestinians: An Untold History, called it a “striking” moment because Mohamsson “chose to wear the very symbol many Swedish Jews now fear to display.”…

I have enormous respect for non-Jews like Mohammson and Boy George who have the courage to stand with Jews and Israel, and I’ll continue to highlight their bravery whenever I can.

Those are the words of journalist Aaron Hanscom, the writer of this report. He’s done right by Simona Mohammson, “highlighting her bravery” in standing up for the Jews of Sweden. Let us all go and do likewise, for other mohammsons who swim into our ken.