Sweden’s Minister for EU affairs, Birgitta Ohlsson, center, Willy Silberstein of the Swedish Committee Against Anti-Semitism, right, and Joshua Kaufman, left, walking outside a synagogue with several hundred Jews and non-Jews during a “kippa walk” through Malmo, Sweden, Aug. 18, 2012. (Drago Prvulovic/ AFP via Getty Images)
(JTA) — Synagogues throughout Sweden have shut down temporarily in response to the country raising its official terror threat assessment level.
According to the World Jewish Congress, Wednesday’s action was a precautionary measure. Lena Posner-Korosi, the chairwoman of Sweden’s Official Council of Jewish Communities, said the security situation will be reassessed daily. On Wednesday, Sweden raised its terror threat status to “high,” the second-highest level.
Swedish police said they were hunting for a man wanted for “planning a terrorist act.” Some media reports said he was an Iraqi who has fought in Syria and was wanted for activities in Sweden, but there was no connection to last week’s Paris attack.
About 20,000 Jews live in Sweden, according to the European Jewish Congress.
READ: Denmark synagogue attack seen as ‘wake-up call’
Denmark also raised its threat status on Wednesday, but its synagogues remain open, according to the World Jewish Congress. In February, a gunman opened fire on Copenhagen’s Great Synagogue, killing a security guard and wounding two others.
