The Jewish Right-Wing Filmmaker Behind Trump’s Much-Mocked Sweden ‘Terror’ Lie

Image by YouTube
President Trump shocked millions (of those still capable of being shocked by him) when he expressed outrage at a weekend rally about a supposed terror attack in Sweden.
Some thought he was confusing the Scandinavian country with the Pakistani city of Sehwan in Pakistan where a terror attack killed scores. Turns out he was just channel-surfing and heard Jewish right-wing filmmaker Ami Horowitz being interviewed on FoxNews.
Among other crackpot and Islamophobic causes, Horowitz has taken to slamming Sweden for supposedly coddling Islamic terrorists.
Horowitz spoke in the Fox interview about an attack “not long ago” and derided Sweden for allowing a wave of immigrant-fueled crimes, including a jump in the rape rate.
The attack actually took place in 2010, not anytime recently, and long before the war in Syria sent refugees flooding into Europe. His claim about rising crime is actually contradicted by Swedish statistics — its rape rate rose only after a reclassification of crime descriptions.
Horowitz told the Guardian he was “gratified” that Trump cited him for shining a light on “the increasing problems that Sweden is having with its open door immigration policy to the Muslim world.”
The rest of the world mostly agreed with former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt.
Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound. https://t.co/XWgw8Fz7tj
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) February 19, 2017
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
