Jewish Journalist Accuses Swedish Police of Enlarging Her Nose on ID Card

While many interpreted what the Jewish journalist claimed to be a doctored photograph as yet another token of age-old hatred of Jews, others saw no trace of anti-Semitism but rather a bad printer.

Journalist Annika Hernroth-Rothstein has accused the Swedish police of enlarging her nose on her ID card to match an anti-Semitic trope because of her “very Jewish name”, a claim that has triggered mixed reactions.

“Went to get a new National ID card & passport at a police station in Sweden, handing in employment papers from an Israeli newspaper as well as proof of ID with 2 very Jewish names (while wearing a Magen David btw). Got back my ID and my nose has been doctored as seen below”, Hernroth-Rothstein tweeted, posting a picture of her nose apparently having an extra large tip hanging down to the lower lip.

​For the sake of comparison, she posted a photograph of her driver's license, in which the grotesque nose is markedly absent.

Annika Hernroth-Rothstein, who writes for Israeli and US newspapers, wrote she “felt scared & kinda dirty” when seeing it, but accepted the ID, went home and “put it in a box never to be used”.

​The 38-year-old, who has made a name for herself by highlighting Sweden's anti-Semitism, rose to fame in 2017 when she filed for asylum in her own country based on religious persecution, received a lot of support, not least from fellow Jews.

“This must be investigated. A service error, to say the least ... both anti-Semitic and manipulation of ID documents”, lawyer Sebastian Scheiman wrote.

​Dror Eydar, Israel's ambassador to Italy, proposed that Annika Hernroth-Rothstein apply for Israeli citizenship instead to show “real beauty” on official documents.

​Many agreed that this was abominable and constituted reason enough for legal action. However, a number of people pointed out similar glitches on their own ID cards, which can no longer be pinned on anti-Semitism. In the words of Markus Henkins, a fellow journalist, “This has nothing to do with ethnicity and everything to do with a s***ty printing system”.

​“Mine looks exaclty the same and I am no near Jewish”, Christian Democerat Adrian Repetto tweeted, posting a photograph of his ID.

​“This is untrue, it is the overlip and the tip of the nose that are blurred together. As can be seen here on mine”, a Swedish woman tweeted, urging Hernroth-Rothstein to retract her “serious accusation”.

​Another man explained that it had to do with contrast settings, posting a photograph of what he dubbed a “Hitler moustache”.

​Annika Hernroth-Rothstein is a Swedish journalist, political adviser, writer, and pro-Israel activist. She is a contributor to Israel Hayom, The Jerusalem Post, The Washington Examiner, and numerous other outlets.

After becomeing religious, Hernroth-Rothstein divorced her non-Jewish husband who declined to convert, and has since maintained a totally Jewish lifestyle which includes keeping a kosher home.