Ilmar Reepalu
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Ilmar Reepalu (born 11 October 1943) is an
Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
n-born Swedish Social Democrat politician who was the 17th chairman of the municipal board in
Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal pop ...
from 1994 to 2013. After a professional life as an urban planner in
Borås Borås ( , , ) is a city (officially, a locality) and the seat of Borås Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 66,273 inhabitants in 2010. Geography Borås is located at the point of two crossing railways, among them th ...
and Malmö, he became a municipal commissioner of Malmö in 1985. In opposition from 1985 to 1994, he then served as chairman of the municipal board – a position similar to that of mayor – from the 1994 election until his retirement on 1 July 2013. During his term as chairman of the municipal board, Reepalu was lauded as being instrumental in the transformation of Malmö from an industrial town in decline towards being a centre of knowledge and modern architecture. He also was criticized strongly during his term, both for a surge in crime in the city, and accusations of
antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
for comments he made in which he allegedly associated attacks on
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
in Malmö with their support for
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
.


Biography

Ilmar Reepalu was born on 11 October 1943 in Nõva, in then
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
-occupied
Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
. In August 1944, his family fled the advancing
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
forces in an open boat, heading towards neutral Sweden. Outside the island of Svenska Högarna their boat capsized, but they were saved by the patrolling Swedish Navy. He and the rest of his family was at first interned at a refugee camp at Medevi Brunn in the
Motala Municipality Motala Municipality (''Motala kommun'') is a municipality in Östergötland County in southeast Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Motala. In 1971 Motala Municipality was formed by the amalgamation of the ''City of Motala'' with some of t ...
and they could later establish themselves in the town of
Motala Motala () is a locality and the seat of Motala Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 29,823 inhabitants (41,956 in the entire municipality) in 2010. It is the third largest city of Östergötland, following Linköping and Norrköping. ...
, where Reepalu grew up. Reepalu's political life started in 1958, when he as a student at the gymnasium was involved with starting the local branch of Social Democratic Youth League. After serving his draft time as a
combat diver A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some European countries, police work. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver, comb ...
in the Coastal Rangers (the Swedish amphibious special forces), he moved to Gothenburg where he took a degree in
civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...
(1968) and trained as an
architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
(1970), both at
Chalmers University of Technology Chalmers University of Technology ( sv, Chalmers tekniska högskola, often shortened to Chalmers) is a Swedish university located in Gothenburg that conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international leve ...
. During his time in Gothenburg, he was also involved in political groups that fought the proposed demolitions in the Haga district of Gothenburg. From 1970 to 1973, Reepalu was employed by VBB, a building consultant firm. From 1973, he was employed as an
urban planner An urban planner (also known as town planner) is a professional who practices in the field of town planning, urban planning or city planning. An urban planner may focus on a specific area of practice and have a title such as city planner, town ...
in
Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal pop ...
, except between 1977 and 1979 when he was the acting head of urban planning in
Borås Borås ( , , ) is a city (officially, a locality) and the seat of Borås Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 66,273 inhabitants in 2010. Geography Borås is located at the point of two crossing railways, among them th ...
. Reepalu's stated position was that he did not want to combine political assignments with his career as an urban planner, and when, in 1973, he was offered to sit on Malmö's Town Planning Committee as a Social Democratic representative by the mayor at the time, Nils Yngvesson, he declined. In 1984, he got his first political assignment, as an alternate member for the health board. The year after, he was employed full-time as a politician, becoming a municipal commissioner and in 1994 he was elected chairman of the municipal board.


Chairman of the municipal board

Reepalu has been credited with helping to revive Malmö architecturally from its roots as a fading industrial city. Architectural projects that he helped to bring into existence during his mayoralty include the
Øresund Bridge The Öresund or Øresund Bridge ( da, Øresundsbroen ; sv, Öresundsbron ; hybrid name: ) is a combined railway and motorway bridge across the Øresund strait between Denmark and Sweden. It is the longest in Europe with both roadway and rai ...
(completed in 2000), the
Turning Torso Turning Torso is a neo-futurist residential skyscraper built in Malmö, Sweden in 2005. It was formerly the tallest building in the Nordic region until September 2022, when it was surpassed by Karlatornet in Gothenburg, which is still under ...
building (completed in 2005) and the
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(completed in 2010). During Reepalu's mayoralty, Malmö intensified its reputation as a haven for the smuggling of drugs and illegal weapons, and for criminal activity, a trend that had begun in the 1970s and '80s. In 2011 and 2012, Malmö experienced eight execution-style killings, all of which remain unsolved, along with a bombing of its police headquarters, which led local newspapers to dub the city "Sweden's
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
". In February 2013, Reepalu announced that he would step down as mayor 1 July 2013 in order to give his successor time to establish themself before the next election. Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh succeeded him on the position on 1 July 2013 as the first woman to hold that office.


Controversy

In 2010, Malmö saw a sharp rise in antisemitic attacks, with 79 attacks reported by police, which was double the previous year's figures. The bulk of the filed incidences were harassment and threats, but they also included arson, vandalism of synagogues and arguably one case of violence. Swedish newspapers and political leaders as well as Israeli media criticised Ilmar Reepalu for denying the rise of Antisemitism in Malmö.Malmö mayor says unaware of level of attacks on Jews
by Peter Vinthagen Simpson, ''The Local'', February 26, 2010.
In a 2010 interview, Reepalu stated: "We accept neither Zionism nor anti-Semitism. They are extremes that put themselves above other groups, and believe they have a lower value." During an interview with ''
Al-Jazeerah Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
'', Reepalu criticised Malmö's Jewish community for its support for Israel, stating that "I would wish for the Jewish community to denounce Israeli violations against the civilian population in Gaza. Instead it decides to hold a ro-Israelidemonstration in the Grand Square f Malmö which could send the wrong signals." Jewish leaders responded that the demonstration Reepalu was referring to was "pro-peace rally" arranged by the Jewish Community in Malmö "which came under attack from members of a violent counter demonstration" and accused Reepalu of "suggesting that the violence directed towards us is our own fault simply because we didn’t speak out against Israel."Jews flee Malmo as antisemitism grows
, by David Landes, Jewish Tribune, February 3, 2010.
Reepalu subsequently stated that apart from at the infamous demonstration, there had not been any violent attacks on Jews in the city, by claiming to cite police figures. However, the same police figures show that hate crimes against Jews have doubled over the last year. In January, when asked to explain why Jewish religious services often require security guards and even police protection, Reepalu claimed that the violence directed toward Malmö’s Jewish community is from right-wing extremists, and not Muslims. In an interview with the '' Sunday Telegraph'' in February 2010, Reepalu was again asked about reports that antisemitism in Malmö has increased to the point that some of its Jewish residents are (or are considering) moving to Israel. Reepalu again denied that there has been any violence directed at Jews in Malmö, stating that: Reepalu added on Danish television that the criticism against his statement were the work of the " Israel lobby". The then-leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party,
Mona Sahlin Mona Ingeborg Sahlin ( born 9 March 1957) is a Swedish politician who was leader of the opposition and leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 2007 to 2011. Sahlin was a Member of Parliament, representing Stockholm County, from 198 ...
, described Reepalu's comments as "unfortunate". Reepalu later conceded that he had not been sufficiently informed about the vulnerable situation faced by Jews after meeting with community leaders. Reepalu then claimed that ''Skånska Dagbladet'', the newspaper that initially reported many Reepalu's controversial statements, had misrepresented him as antisemitic; the newspaper was subsequently banned from a press conference at City Hall, reportedly at Reepalu's request. In response, ''Skånska Dagbladet'' published on its website the full tapes of its interview with Ilmar Reepalu, as well as all the texts published in its article series on threats and harassment faced by Malmö Jews, and the exchange of emails between the newspaper and the mayor's office. In March 2012, Reepalu again came under criticism when he told the magazine Neo that members of the Sweden Democrats had "infiltrated" the city's Jewish community in order to turn it against Muslims. Invited to a screening of ''
Genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Lat ...
'' with a following debate on situation for Jews in Malmö, he said that the parliamentarian
Kent Ekeroth Kent Alexander Ekeroth (born 11 September 1981) is a Swedish politician and economist, who represented the Sweden Democrats. Early life Ekeroth was born in Malmö to a Jewish mother, Janina Kazarina, originally from Kazakhstan in Central Asia ...
was among the most active speakers. Later, Reepalu said in the interview, he heard rumors that Kent Ekeroth in fact was the fraternal nephew of a leading figure in Malmö's Jewish community. In response to Reepalu's statements, the congregation denied that Kent Ekeroth even was a member of the community nor that any relative of his was on its board. Kent Ekeroth denied that he had attended the event. Reepalu then conceded that had no basis for his remarks and that he "shouldn't have put it that way." Lena Posner-Körösi of the Council of Swedish Jewish Communities subsequently sent a letter to Social Democratic leader Stefan Lofven, stating that "Regardless of what he says and does from now on, we don't trust him." Looking further into the matter ''Skånska Dagbladet'' noted that it was Ted Ekeroth, also a member of the Sweden Democrats and the twin brother of Kent, that had attended the screening and debate. They also found that their aunt is a member of the congregation, but not a leading figure. Reepalu responded to this controversy by stating in an interview with ''Haaretz'' that "I've never been an anti-Semite and never will be." Hannah Rosenthal, the then U.S. Special Envoy of the
Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism The Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism (formerly the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism) is an office of the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights at the United States Department of S ...
, said that Reepalu had made "anti-Semitic statements" and that Malmö under Reepalu represented a "prime example" of "new anti-Semitism", where anti-Israel sentiment serves as a thin guise for Jew-hatred.Cnaan Liphsiz
''In Sweden, the kippa becomes a symbol of defiance''
The Times of Israel, 24 Sept 2012
Jehoshua Kaufman, who organises Malmö's "kippah walks" expressed mixed feelings for Reepalu, stating that "Reepalu transformed the city from a port town to a post-industrial place with a lot of enterprise" but added that "From the outside, he will probably be known as the mayor who was accused of anti-Semitism. It is a little unfair if that is all he is remembered for, but at the same time he only has himself to blame."Anti-Semitism row 'could mar' Reepalu's legacy
by Patrick Reilly, '' The Local'' February 5, 2013.
Reepalu has said that he would love to participate in a kippah walk to show his support for the Jews in Malmö. In the same statement, he also said that "antisemitism is an abomination" and that Jews in Malmö have nothing to do with Israel's actions and should not be called to account for that.


Awards and honours

Reepalu was named one of 25 finalists for the
World Mayor World Mayor is a biennial award organized by the City Mayors Foundation since 2004. It intends to raise the profile of mayors worldwide, as well as honour those who have served their communities well and who have contributed to the well-being of c ...
2010 prize in October 2010. His nomination was criticised by the ''
Simon Wiesenthal Center The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a Jewish human rights organization established in 1977 by Rabbi Marvin Hier. The center is known for Holocaust research and remembrance, hunting Nazi war criminals, combating anti-Semitism, tolerance educat ...
'', who stated that Reepalu should have been removed from contention "due to what he has said and done to the Jews of Malmö".US Jewish centre seeks ban on Malmö mayor
, The Local (Sweden's News in English), October 14, 2010.
The prize was ultimately given to
Marcelo Ebrard Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubón (; born 10 October 1959) is a Mexican politician who is serving as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico. Affiliated with the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) since 2018, he was appointed to lead the f ...
of
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reepalu, Ilmar 1943 births Living people People from Lääne-Nigula Parish Estonian emigrants to Sweden Estonian World War II refugees Child refugees Refugees in Sweden Swedish Social Democratic Party politicians Mayors of Malmö Politicians from Malmö Antisemitism in Sweden