"We Don't Attract Those Who Sympathize with Hamas"

Sweden's Left Party is tightening its vetting procedures after 25 candidates in Skåne were removed from election lists. The removals followed media scrutiny revealing instances of antisemitism and praise for terror attacks among the candidates.

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No, it is precisely the opposite. Many want to join the Left Party because they believe there has been far too flat an attitude towards murder, towards genocide. But these people have not been able to keep their distance.

Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar addressed the situation, asserting that the party does not attract Hamas sympathizers. Instead, she argued, many join the Left Party because they perceive other parties as having too weak a stance against "murder and genocide." Dadgostar emphasized that the party unequivocally condemns violence against civilians and has a long-standing commitment to peace and a two-state solution.

Local party representatives in Skåne had previously cited a lack of resources for conducting thorough background checks on all candidates, a challenge common to all political parties. Dadgostar acknowledged that vetting every candidate's past social media activity is a "solid job" that is difficult to avoid.

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We are a party that has worked very diligently and for a long time for peace and for a two-state solution.

In response to the incident, the party's secretary, Maria Forsberg, stated that the party is "now tightening our work in election committees, reviewing our candidate declarations and our routines in these matters." While specific changes were not detailed, the party is undertaking internal work to enhance its candidate selection process and prevent similar issues in future elections.

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We are now tightening our work in election committees, reviewing our candidate declarations and our routines in these matters.