"Shouldn't Sweden do some soul searching?"
by Zvi Mazel 
svt-Debatt,26 augusti 2009 -in Swedish- English translation

 The past few days have seen bitter exchanges between Israel and Sweden. It is perhaps time to try to understand why the Aftonbladet article was perceived here in Israel as having crossed one red line too many. Diskutera Var det fel av Aftonbladet att publicera artikeln? Läs också Lisa Magnussons blogg What did the article said? That Israeli soldiers were killing Palestinian youngsters in order to harvest their organs and presumably sell them to the highest bidder. A not so subtle reference to a story about Jews in the States dealing in organs for transplantation added a nauseating anti-Semitic slur. For many Israelis and indeed Jews, this brought back memories of centuries of accusations of ritual murder: Jews killing Christian children to use their blood for making unleavened bread at Passover time. These groundless accusations were always followed by brutal attacks against Jews leaving countless dead and wounded. To add insult to injury Aftonbladet did not even try to check its facts before publishing this highly offensive piece based on some vague stories allegedly heard nearly twenty years ago and never substantiated. The Palestinians, usually so prompt to point the finger at Israel, never raised the issue and in today's Jerusalem Post (August 25) the family of the young man mentioned in the article said they never talked with the Swedish journalist and had no reason to believe organs had been stolen... until they heard about the article! Indeed it is to be feared that Aftenposten reckless accusations will lead to a spate of wild rumors - based on the "findings" of the Swedish paper. It is therefore not hard to understand the feeling of outrage felt in Israel, the more so since the Swedish government, the Press and even the Church have taken a decidedly pro-Palestinian approach to the conflict in the Middle East. There have been indiscriminate condemnations of Israel and countless highly inflammatory articles in the press. Let me quote just one article published in October 2003 in Dagens Nyheter under the headline "Muslimers hat mot judar är befogat" by one Jan Samuelsson. Then as now, Swedish authorities refused to intervene or even to condemn. Are there no limits to the so-called freedom of the press? Or is just when Israel is targeted? Why does one often get the impression that Swedish papers are reluctant to condemn suicide bombings and terror attacks, while always ready to launch scathing attacks on Israel? Why can?t the press in Sweden take an even handed approach to the problems of the Middle East? And why does it so often speak in one voice? Is there a consensus among the most influential papers with no one daring to dissent? But it is not only the Press. Sweden, which is at present the head of the European Union, has been highly critical of Israel while apparently far less interested in human rights violations in Syria, Iran and even in the Gaza strip - unless Israel can be blamed. However the present incident could have been immediately defused. The Swedish Ambassador in Tel Aviv issued a communiqué in which she condemned the slander and expressed her understanding of the feelings of horror and outrage in Israel. Left alone, the affair would have died down quickly. But when the Swedish Foreign Ministry saw fit to distance itself from the communiqué in the name of the sanctity of freedom of the press and reproached its own representative, it ignited the flames. People in Israel remember that, not so long ago, another Swedish Foreign Minister had an internet site closed down for insulting Muslim feelings and went on to send a letter of apology to Muslim leaders following the publication of drawings deemed insulting to Prophet Muhammed. Why was it proper then to apologize for material offensive to Muslims, but not today for what amounts to a blood libel against Israeli soldiers? For that matter, why was it so urgent for the government of Sweden to disassociate itself from the communiqué issued by the Swedish Ambassador in Tel Aviv? The time has perhaps come for a frank and honest discussion at the highest level in order to come to a better understanding and avoid the next superfluous crisis between two democratic countries sharing the same values.

 Zvi Mazel Former Ambassador to Sweden and currently Fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and State