”Swedish Middle East policy may be considered a contributory factor in encouraging such Jihadi-style intent.”

PARIS—In a letter to Swedish Minister for Home Affairs, Mikael Damberg, Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations,  Shimon Samuels, expressed horror at the stabbing attack of a 60-year-old Jewish woman in Helsingborg in southern Sweden.

The woman, who was critically injured, is active in the local Jewish community.

The assailant, who is a Muslim man known to local police,  has reportedly been arrested in Denmark where he fled after the attack.  He is expected to be extradited to Sweden for prosecution.

While the Jewish community of Helsingborg said the attack appeared to be anti-Semitic, investigators are not treating the incident as a hate crime. Security has been increased around Jewish institutions in the city.

Simon Samuels remarked that, “apparently the police are treating the case as a common attempted murder. This evades the aggravated penalty if acknowledged as a hate-crime, in this case antisemitism.’’ “Even more damning, her pleas for help were reportedly ignored by bystanders,” he added.

He also stressed that ‘’ Swedish Middle East policy may be considered a contributory factor in encouraging such Jihadi-style intent.”