How Swedish MEP Alice Teodorescu Mawe became Israel’s most outspoken European ally

Less than a day after three female hostages were released as part of Israel’s ceasefire and hostage deal with the Hamas terror group, Swedish politician Alice Teodorescu Mawe fired off a searing invective during a speech to the European Parliament that targeted the Red Cross and Hamas and its supporters — and she did it while wearing a yellow pin in support of the hostages.

“The masks have fallen from the so-called freedom fighters, who, together with many of those taken for innocent civilians, surrounded like hyenas the three young women who were taken from Hamas’s violence yesterday,” she said.

Calling out “the West’s spineless politicians, activist journalists and corrupt judicial institutions,” Teodorescu Mawe called for tougher measures against Hamas “now that the masked monsters have been unmasked, stomping on a Red Cross ambulance — and thus on our Western values.”

Her outspoken comments might be considered remarkable coming from another source — especially in a political climate in Europe that has not been particularly friendly to Israel during the last 15 months of its multi-front war — but for Teodorescu Mawe, it was just another Monday.

In recent months, the politician has captured attention and ignited public debate with her unapologetic candor. From defending Israel’s right to self-defense after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre to advocating for expelling antisemites from Sweden and proposing that Swedish citizenship should be contingent on recognizing Israel’s legitimacy, her advocacy has been as resolute as it is viral.

“Every time a Jewish person thanks me for my position, I get sad because my reaction should be the norm,” she told The Times of Israel in a recent interview.

Teodorescu Mawe’s support for Israel and Jewish causes has grown amid rising Middle Eastern immigration and escalating antisemitism in Sweden and Europe. Her July 2024 appointment as Sweden’s sole center-right Christian Democrat MEP has further amplified her voice on the international stage.

Born of strong convictions

Teodorescu Mawe was born in Bucharest, Romania, in 1984, and her family moved to the southern Swedish city of Lund, where she was raised, in 1989. Her parents, who fled their homeland to escape the constraints of dictatorship, poverty, and repression, significantly shaped her worldview.

“They often spoke about values, principles, and what makes a good society,” Teodorescu Mawe said, crediting her parents for instilling in her a deep understanding of freedom, democracy and human rights from a young age.

Her mother admired the Jewish people and their resilience in the face of adversity, which sparked Teodorescu Mawe’s own interest in Holocaust history.

“For a couple of years, that was the only thing I read,” she said, adding that she was particularly moved by the danger of “silent complicity.”

This literary deep dive not only shaped her lifelong commitment to speaking out against injustice but also set off a defining intellectual journey toward diplomacy.

On her road to politics, Teodorescu Mawe earned a law degree from Lund University in 2008. She then began her career in Brussels, Belgium, as a trainee for Svenskt Naringsliv, an organization advocating for pro-business interests with a focus on EU labor law issues.

Concurrently with other jobs, she spent most of her working years as an editorial writer for various local news outlets, including the liberal-conservative Svenska Dagbladet, the conservative tabloids Barometern and Gotlands Allehanda, and the liberal-leaning Göteborgs-Posten, where she was the political editor from 2015 to 2019. From 2019 to 2020, she was a member of the Swedish Moderate Party, and later joined the Christian Democrats in 2024.

In her work, Teodorescu Mawe often tackled themes of migration and integration, voicing concern about the lack of Muslim assimilation in Sweden, where the demographic constitutes roughly 8% of the population. “Antisemitic attitudes didn’t start on October 7,” she said.

While physically in Sweden, many immigrants remain “mentally in the Middle East, bringing these perspectives with them and creating a clash of societies,” she said.

Confronting rising antisemitism in Europe

Despite the recent timing of her Swedish MEP appointment, Teodorescu Mawe said she felt an “obligation” to view the harrowing footage of the October 7 atrocities, which saw thousands of Hamas-led terrorists brutally murder some 1,200 people and kidnap 251 more to the Gaza Strip during a full-scale invasion of southern Israel by air, land and sea. The slaughter was chillingly characterized by widespread acts of torture, mutilation and rape.

“The worst part was the joy of the Hamas fighters, their complete lack of empathy,” Teodorescu Mawe said.

Antisemitic attacks have surged in many countries since October 7, with reports of a 400% increase in harassment of European Jews, according to an EU Agency for Fundamental Rights survey from 2024. Teodorescu Mawe found the “shameful” celebrations after October 7 in the streets of Sweden equally troubling. She believes these events serve as a reminder that society has “learned nothing from the Holocaust” and that significant change is needed.

Teodorescu Mawe said she is fighting against the “erosion of European and Western values” as Jews again become scapegoats. In this, she highlights the shifting stigmas around antisemitism where “the Muslim is now the victim, and the Jew is white. And if you’re white, you can’t possibly be a victim.”

Additionally, she has sharply criticized fellow journalists and politicians for their “double standard,” disproportionately focusing on Israel while ignoring Palestinian responsibility.

“Painting Palestinians solely as victims diminishes their role as equal partners in a solution,” she argued, adding that it also perpetuates antisemitism and fuels calls to “globalize the intifada.”

The courage of convictions

Teodorescu Mawe’s defiant stance on Israel, antisemitism, and rising Muslim immigration and integration has drawn fierce criticism, primarily from those on the left.

“I’ve been called slurs like a Jewish whore, a spy, an enabler of genocide, and a defender of child killers,” she said, recounting the vitriol directed her way.

Despite the attacks, she remains resolute. “I’m not here to be popular,” said Teodorescu Mawe. “When you’re too dependent on your career or image, fear drives your decisions. I refuse to let that happen.” Hoping to set an example, she added, “If I don’t stand up for European Jews and Israel now, then when and what would I stand up for?”

She has also issued several controversial policy proposals, such as tying Swedish citizenship to recognizing Israel’s legitimacy and deporting individuals involved in antisemitism. These proposals, introduced shortly after the one-year commemoration of the October 7 attacks, have since triggered a backlash. However, she views them as necessary steps to address Europe’s failure to integrate Muslim communities, which she holds has allowed “intolerant” attitudes to flourish.

“Anti-Zionism is antisemitism,” she said. “Criticism of Israel has replaced direct attacks on Jews, but the intent remains the same.”

Looking forward

While she acknowledges the difficulties in Sweden, Teodorescu Mawe believes more must be done under the leadership of the Moderates — the currently governing Swedish party — to combat antisemitism. She emphasizes that raising public awareness is a crucial first step, an initiative she actively champions through her political platform and public advocacy.

Teodorescu Mawe points out that “many Swedes agree with [her] but are too terrified to speak out, having seen the consequences of those who raise their voices.”

Nevertheless, she urges them to resist fear and confront intolerance head-on.

“We need to back Israel, which is at the front line of this war. Their hate isn’t limited to Jews — they hate the West and will turn against us when it suits them,” she said.