Dagens Nyheter: Left Party Must Confront Antisemitism

Dagens Nyheter has sharply criticized Sweden's Left Party, led by Nooshi Dadgostar, for its ambiguous position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its perceived failure to adequately address antisemitism within the party.

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We must ask them about it.

The newspaper points to Dadgostar's responses during a radio interview when pressed about background checks for party members who sent letters to Palestinians convicted of terrorism. Dadgostar reportedly advised interviewers to ask the individuals directly. Similarly, when questioned about the party's vetting process for candidates who allegedly spread antisemitism and praised Hamas, she suggested the party secretary should handle such inquiries.

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Everyone knows where the Left Party stands.

Dagens Nyheter argues that these responses highlight the party's ongoing struggles with extremists and those who romanticize terrorism within the pro-Palestinian movement. The article contends that Dadgostar's reluctance to clearly state the Left Party's position, specifically, support for both Israelis and Palestinians having their own states, creates an environment where the legitimacy of Israel's existence is questioned.

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But that is apparently not the case.

The editorial also notes an incident where Dadgostar was photographed in front of a booth run by the Palestinian National Union, an organization that sells maps omitting Israel. This, combined with the party's parliamentary members sending letters to Palestinian prisoners, fuels the criticism that the party is not drawing a firm line against problematic elements.

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The inability to convey that message, to only articulate one half, creates space for those who believe the Jewish state has no right to exist.