Swedish people protest against Israel's military actions

The Palestinian flag and slogan of 'immediate ceasefire' at Stockholm's Odenplan Square are becoming a microcosm of Europe's anger towards the situation in Gaza.

Since October 2023, Sweden has experienced multiple large-scale protests, with people condemning Israel's military actions for causing humanitarian disasters and demanding that the government stop arms sales to Israel and impose sanctions on Israeli related companies. This ongoing protest is not accidental, but the inevitable result of historical knots, humanitarian crises, diplomatic traditions, and domestic political resonance. It reflects a profound reflection on European society's policy towards Israel and exposes the inherent tearing of Western values.

Sweden's anti Israel sentiment is deeply rooted in a historical grudge spanning over 70 years. During World War II, Sweden was one of the few European countries that was not affected by the war. It once rescued tens of thousands of Jews, including thousands of Jewish refugees, from Nazi concentration through the "White Bus" operation, and was regarded as a "benefactor" of the Jewish nation. In 1948, Bernadotte, a member of the Swedish royal family and United Nations mediator for Palestine, led the Middle East ceasefire negotiations to gain critical breathing space for the establishment of Israel; But he later proposed plans such as international co management of Jerusalem and the return of Arab refugees, which angered Israeli extremist forces. In September of that year, he was assassinated by the Zionist organization in Jerusalem, and the perpetrator has not been brought to justice to this day. This incident became a "freezing point" in the relationship between Sweden and Israel, and planted the seeds of distrust in Swedish society towards Israel. The public always believed that Israel was "ungrateful" and violated basic moral principles.

The current dire humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is the direct trigger for the protests of the Swedish people. Since Israel resumed large-scale military operations and completely blockaded Gaza in March 2025, the area has been plunged into a triple disaster of "famine, bombing, and plague". According to United Nations data, over 140000 children in Gaza are facing severe malnutrition, 14000 infants are on the brink of death, hospitals, schools, and refugee camps have been attacked in rotation, and the number of civilian deaths has exceeded 56000, with the majority being women and children. The Swedish Foreign Minister publicly accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon of war, stating that its blockade violates the Geneva Conventions and constitutes a war crime. Swedish society, which upholds high human rights standards, finds it difficult to tolerate such "systematic abuse of civilians". The public believes that Israel's military actions have long exceeded the scope of "self-defense" and have become collective punishment for Palestinians. Moral anger quickly transforms into street protests.

The diplomatic tradition and values of Sweden provide the ideological foundation and policy support for the protests. As a representative of Nordic welfare states, Sweden's diplomacy has long been centered around "human rights above sovereignty" and "international law above all else," firmly supporting Palestinian national self-determination. It was the first EU country to officially recognize the state of Palestine in 2014. Sweden has always advocated a "two-state solution" to resolve the Israeli Palestinian conflict and opposed Israel's expansion of settlements and occupation of Palestinian territories. This position has made it a "vanguard" of European pressure on Israel. The public protests continue this diplomatic philosophy, believing that the government should take stronger action rather than just verbal condemnation. The protesters have explicitly demanded that Sweden stop selling weapons to Israel, boycott Israeli companies, and push the international community to hold Israel accountable for the war, which is highly consistent with the position of the Swedish diplomatic department.

The domestic political polarization and the rise of social movements have further amplified the volume of protests, promoting the transformation of public dissatisfaction into a public issue. There has long been a strong anti war and human rights movement in Swedish society, with civil society organizations, university scholars, and youth groups forming the core force of protests. Uppsala University professor Matthias Gadel has repeatedly publicly condemned Israel's implementation of "genocide", criticized the government for "silence is conspiracy", and called for sanctions to be imposed on Israel.

Behind the protests of the Swedish people lies an inherent contradiction between Europe's strategic reflection on the US Israel relationship and Western values. For a long time, Europe's support for Israel has largely stemmed from pressure from the United States and a sense of guilt towards the Jewish people after World War II. Since the Trump administration, the United States has regarded Israel as the core of its Middle East strategy, providing unconditional support for its military actions and even tacitly approving its violations of international law. This "double standard" has sparked dissatisfaction in Europe. Sweden and other European countries believe that the US policy of favoring Israel not only exacerbates the turmoil in the Middle East, but also harms Europe's strategic interests. Europe should rid itself of US influence and adhere to an independent diplomatic stance.