Reepalu Revisited

I know I haven’t blogged much lately, but I’ve been busy working – believe it or not. In order to strengthen my credibility, behold the fruit of my labor.

An Agent Uncovers His Tracks

In 1973, the two Swedish journalists Peter Bratt and Jan the-KGB-agent Guillou exposed an illegal organization that surveyed leftwing extremists in Sweden. One of the agents whose cover they blew was Gunnar Ekberg, and he and his wife had to flee the country in a dramatic escape until things calmed down.

Now, more than thirty five years later, Ekberg is finally able to tell his side of the story. In his memoirs De ska ju ändå dö: tio år i svensk underrättelsetjänst (“They’ll Die Anyway: Ten Years in the Swedish Intelligence Service”) he tells the fascinating tale of how he was recruited by the Swedish intelligence service. He describes how he infiltrated various extreme leftwing organizations dreaming of an armed revolution in Sweden, and how he even managed to get inside a Palestinian terrorist organization and avert at least one terror attack.

My full review of Ekberg’s memoirs can be found here.

The Ultimate Whipping

Yes, yes, I know. Already last time I wrote about it I said that I had whipped this dead horse for the last time.

Consider this article the ultimate whipping, the very last crums of my piece of the pie — the one last all-inclusive summary of the whole Aftonbladet affair.

At least until something new comes along.

Sweden 2009: An Overview

There are a few fixed highlights in the world of rhetoric — speeches delivered at set intervals where important people have the chance to give their view of the world while the world is listening. The President of the United States has his State of the Union, the Pope’s got the Urbe et Orbe, and the Queen has her Christmas address.

And then there’s me.

A few weeks ago, I gave the annual lecture on antisemitism and anti-Israeli sentiments and activities in Sweden during the past year. The result can be enjoyed here.

Unfortunately, the Q&A session — where my heretic views on anti-Israeli sentiments not necessarily being antisemitic were called into question — is not included in the clip.

My Piece of the Pie

It’s hard to find a journalist, expert or know-it-all who hasn’t yet cashed in on what the good people at Timbro Media Institute call “Boström Gate”, that is Donald Boström’s by now infamous article implying that the IDF kills Palestinians and sell their organs abroad.

Now, when you honestly didn’t think that there was a single opinion that hadn’t been expressed or a single angle left to give to this story, it’s finally my turn to publish something on the whole affair.

My whipping of this dead horse can be enjoyed here.

Nothing New under the Sun

A link to this article in Sydsvenskan was sent to me the other day. On the one hand it’s good that someone writes about the problems in Malmö — and obviously it’s nice not to be forgotten. But on the other hand it would obviously be much better if the problem would just go away. I could live with people forgetting my research if it would become obsolete.

Watch out Diderot

Ok, so it may not be the Britannica — or even the Judaica. Nonetheless, anyone who happens to be interested in the Jews of Sweden or Scandinavia, might want to check out the Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora at a library near you.

Breaking the Radio Waves

For those of you fortunate enough to understand the language of August Strindberg, Ingemar Bergman and Liza Marklund, and who happen to take an interest in anti-Semitism in Europe, I can recommend this morning’s broadcast of Godmorgon, världen! (“Good Morning, World!”) on Swedish Public Radio 1.

There you can hear Gideon Levi from Haaretz claiming that what Israel has done in Gaza over the last few weeks is much worse and more brutal than Sabra and Shatila, and how he’s a lone voice of sanity in his war-mongering and morally corrupt homeland. But you’ll also have the opportunity to hear yours truely talking about anti-Semitism in Europe and especially in Sweden in the wake of Operation Cast Lead.

The broadcast can be found here, and if your blood pressure is high enough as it is, you can skip Levi’s bit and go straight to minute 20:45.

Another Groundbreaking Publication…

Today it arrived. It’s the latest publication in the Changing Jewish Communities series. This time, it’s a groundbreaking study of Jewish-Muslim relations in Sweden. 

For another recent publication by the same groundbreaking author, see for instance this article.