A Swedish politician quit his campaign after coming under attack for a Facebook post saying “our brothers and sisters in Palestine are slaughtered by the Jewish pigs.”

In his Facebook post on August 2, Omar Omeirat, a Social Democrat candidate for the town council of Filipstad in central Sweden, also called on Allah to “strengthen those who defend Palestine,” and displayed a flag used by the Islamist group Isis, the Swedish news website The Local reported.

“I regret what I said,” Omeirat told Sveriges Television. “It was the wrong choice of words and no one should say something like that.”

Antisemitism Notebook

Your weekly guide through the news and the noise of how rising antisemitism and disputes over how to address it are shaping American Jewish life.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Åsa Hååkman Feldt, a spokeswoman for the Social Democrat party told Swedish media that Omeirat had decided of his own free will to leave politics.

“Of course we condemn his statement,” Feldt said. “But it is Omar himself who has decided that he should take the consequences for his actions and leave the party.”

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount