The travel warning has been tightened for passengers to Eurovision: “well-founded fear of harm to Israelis”

The National Security Headquarters (NSH) tightens the travel warning for the city of Malmö in Sweden from level 2 (occasional threat) to level 3 (moderate threat), on the occasion of the Eurovision Song Contest that will take place in the city this year on May 7-11, and advises Israelis planning to come to the city to consider the necessity The trip. The travel warning will be limited to the period of the Eurovision events and subject to a situation assessment. The headquarters emphasizes that there is no change in the travel warning for the whole of Sweden.

Malmö, many of whose residents are immigrants from Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran, is known as a center for anti-Israel protests. These protests occur on a weekly basis and sometimes include shouting, calls to harm Jews and Israelis, burning of Israeli flags and more. On October 7, the protestors even came out with expressions of joy over the events of the massacre.

In the background, in recent months, calls by elements of global jihad and radical Islam to carry out attacks against Western targets, including targeted threats against Israelis and Jews in the world, with an emphasis on events with a high media profile, have increased. In March, the arrest of two ISIS operatives who planned to carry out an attack on the Swedish Parliament was announced.

“These developments raise a well-founded fear that terrorist elements will take advantage of the protests and the anti-Israeli atmosphere in order to harm Israelis who will come to the Eurovision Song Contest,” the MLA said. The headquarters notes that the Swedish authorities have increased security measures in Malmö, but the Israeli visitors do not receive dedicated security, unlike the delegation the Israeli for the competition.

As part of the preparations, the Home Front Command is distributing instructions for the first time to Israelis staying outside the country: the command announced that visitors to the city are asked to download the Home Front Command applet, in order to be updated with messages from the MLA quickly and in real time if necessary.