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Last update - 18:38 20/08/2009
Sweden: Not party to envoy's censure of IDF organ harvesting article
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Sweden, Israel organ harvest 
Swedish ambassador to Israel called article accusing troops of harvesting organs of Palestinian dead 'shocking and appalling.'

The Swedish government on Thursday distanced itself from a statement by its ambassador to Israel, in which she criticized a newspaper article claiming Israel Defense Forces troops killed Palestinian youths and harvested their organs.

"The condemnation was solely the judgment of the embassy [in Tel Aviv], and designed for an Israeli audience," said a statement released Thursday by the Swedish Foreign Ministry.

"The article in the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet is as shocking and appalling to us Swedes, as it is to Israeli citizens," said Ambassador Elisabet Borsiin Bonnier on Wednesday.
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"Just as in Israel, freedom of the press prevails in Sweden," Bonnier said. "However, freedom of the press and freedom of expression are freedoms which carry a certain responsibility."

The article in Sweden's biggest-selling newspaper was first reported internationally by Haaretz.com on Tuesday, and has sparked fierce widespread debate both in Sweden and abroad. The article claims that as far back as 1992, the IDF was taking organs from Palestinian youths it killed, and also mentions an ongoing U.S. crime investigation involving members of the American Jewish community.

Swedish opposition leaders on Thursday slammed Borsiin Bonnier for calling the article "shocking and appalling," and accused her of interfering with freedom of speech.

Green Party spokesman Per Gahrton said Borsiin Bonnier should be recalled and taught the basics of Swedish freedom of speech. The Swedish Foreign Ministry declined to comment on her statement.

The editor of Aftonbladet on Wednesday hit back hard at both Bonnier and Israeli critics for attacking his paper's coverage, and accused them of hiding behind claims of anti-Semitism to avoid the subject raised in the article. Israel condemned the report as blood libel.

"It's deeply unpleasant and sad to see such a strong propaganda machine using centuries-old anti-Semitic images in an apparent attempt to get an obviously topical issue off the table," said editor Jan Helin.

Helin accused the Swedish ambassador of "a flagrant assault on freedom of speech" for her criticism, and rejected any suggestion of anti-Semitism by his paper. He called the article an opinion piece that raises questions about an Israeli link in an American investigation of a New Jersey crime ring. Among the suspects in that case is an American Jew who has been accused of selling organs.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday harshly criticized the article calling it "illegitimate" and saying that it "has no place, not even in a democracy that protects freedom of speech".

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      1.   Freedom of Speech 14:07  |  Joe W 20/08/09
      2.   Sweden should consider recalling the ambasador 14:09  |  jens 20/08/09
      3.   Civil Society 14:16  |  Erik 20/08/09
      4.   what hypocrisy! 14:20  |  ron 20/08/09
      5.   The freedom of speech does not include lying and defamation 14:20  |  Robin 20/08/09
      6.   HERE Swedish opposition fools enjoy this free speech 14:26  |  PETER SM 20/08/09
      7.   dont forget babies are killed so their blood can be used for matz 14:36  |  zionist forever 20/08/09
      8.   Slightly misleading headline - but cheek nonetheless 14:42  |  vernon marriott 20/08/09
      9.   freedom of speach 14:46  |  zoe 20/08/09
      10.   boycott 14:59  |  idiot 20/08/09
      11.   Aftonbladet 15:38  |  BJ 20/08/09
      12.   BOYCOTT IKEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 15:39  |  dawn 20/08/09
      13.   Europe to Jews: anti-Semitic lies "freedom of speech" 15:48  |  Paul Freedman 20/08/09
      14.   Between good and evil, Sweden is neutral? 15:51  |  B. Gold 20/08/09
      15.   These grossly undereducted antisemitic 15:53  |  17 20/08/09
      16.   Parahphrasing the Aftonbladet editor`s statement 16:01  |  Yonatan 20/08/09
      17.   Did Saudi Arabia paid for the report / 16:10  |  DISRAELI 20/08/09
      18.   Did Saudi Arabia paid for the report II 16:12  |  DISRAELI 20/08/09
      19.   Did Saudi Arabia paid for the report III 16:13  |  DISRAELI 20/08/09
      20.   Swedish relations 16:14  |  Arie 20/08/09
      21.   time to sue the bastards in EU court, not in Sweden. 16:18  |  alexander 20/08/09
      22.   I challenge the Swedes to republish the Mohammed cartoons 16:22  |  Raymond in DC 20/08/09
      23.   reveal Swedish statistics of origins of organs transplanted there 16:23  |  alexander 20/08/09
      24.   Alexander`s challenge 16:44  |  Skandar 20/08/09
      25.   Waste of money 16:46  |  Arie 20/08/09
      26.   Freedom of Speech vs itself 16:48  |  Confused 20/08/09
      27.   Yet, the Swedish government continues to fund NGOs that spread 16:50  |  R. Gordon 20/08/09
      28.   Erik 17:05  |  Yariv 20/08/09
      29.   Amid All This Hubub 17:06  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/08/09
      30.   This story... 17:11  |  JonathanInTelAviv 20/08/09
      31.   Think! it`s an OCCUPATION 17:19  |  Radouane 20/08/09
      32.   Could the claims be true 17:25  |  matan 20/08/09
      33.   Sullivan "amid all the hubub"...... 17:26  |  Christopher 20/08/09
      34.   Freedom of speech Boycott these piece of shit 17:27  |  Dani 20/08/09
      35.   The story could be true, Israel please investigate 17:29  |  Rachel 20/08/09
      36.   Don`t buy Swedish cars Like Volvo and Saab 17:34  |  Abuya 20/08/09
      37.   Send the ambassador back to SWEDEN 17:35  |  Dani 20/08/09
      38.   The Jewish community between "rage" and "common sense" 17:38  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/08/09
      39.   The attitude of Swedish socialists 17:42  |  Gene 20/08/09
      40.   Sweden condoning Anti-semitism by not centuring article. Boycott 17:43  |  David 20/08/09
      41.   Aftonbladet editor`s statement is ONLY for money 17:43  |  Dani 20/08/09
      42.   #1 and 22, the mohammed cartoons emerged from Scandinavia.... 17:57  |  Joe 20/08/09
      43.   In Europe it`s cool to be anti-Muslim not anti-Jew 17:59  |  Rachel 20/08/09
      44.   FU sweden - who needs you 18:01  |  not the world 20/08/09
      45.   @33 Sullivan: See how Israel treats Somali and Sudanese refugees 18:04  |  Rachel 20/08/09
      46.   christoofer and iran and Gays and Sweden and what else?? 18:05  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/08/09
      47.   matan and rache:"The stories could be true" 18:07  |  Arie 20/08/09
      48.   # 32 matan - "Could the claims be true" 18:09  |  17 20/08/09
      49.   Rachel, there is not a nation in the world 18:10  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/08/09
      50.   sweden anti semitism 18:25  |  arye 20/08/09
      51.   Stories like the one in Aftonbladet are hardly surprising 18:29  |  Ben Alofs 20/08/09
      52.   Israelis take blood and bake matza 18:29  |  Chaim 20/08/09
      53.   17 18:32  |  potobac 20/08/09
      54.   #42 Rachel from France, exactly right 18:37  |  Ben Alofs 20/08/09
      55.   What ever happened to investigative journalism 18:38  |  Ben 20/08/09
      56.   Print what you want, but critics have a right to respond 18:40  |  Lee 20/08/09
      57.   answer #2 18:44  |  demos 20/08/09
      58.   centuries-old anti-Semitic images? 18:50  |  Jarda 20/08/09
      59.   potobac - 18:52  |  17 20/08/09
      60.   Why is it always Sweden (and UK)? Why not France, Germany?... 18:55  |  S 20/08/09
      61.   IDF organ harvesting 18:56  |  Jan Bresky 20/08/09
      62.   IDF organ harvesting article 19:00  |  Amish 20/08/09
      63.   IDF organ harvesting article - continuation 19:02  |  Amish 20/08/09
      64.   @Swiss (Dino) 19:03  |  Ralph 20/08/09
      65.   Sullivan - THEY`LL get around to them 19:03  |  Christopher 20/08/09
      66.   #48 Response to 17 19:04  |  Ben Alofs 20/08/09
      67.   "when did you stop beating your wife Mr. Gahrton? 19:06  |  i-care 20/08/09
      68.   There should be an inquiry 19:09  |  Saad 20/08/09
      69.   Mohamed cartoons - answer to Joe 19:14  |  i-care 20/08/09
      70.   Rachel : How Israel treats refugees 19:15  |  i-care 20/08/09
      71.   Like Joe of Occupied Tejas said yesterday... 19:17  |  Ben Alofs 20/08/09
      72.   To Yaakov Sullivan - NYC 19:19  |  i-care 20/08/09
      73.   The author and newspaper will be sued and will pay heavily! 19:19  |  Jane 20/08/09
      74.   #35--the story could not be true 19:19  |  Paul Freedman 20/08/09
      75.   Typical libelous brew. Works true wonders for Jew hatred.- 19:25  |  common sense 20/08/09
      76.   Swedes are jerky - so what? 19:34  |  Owen Albert 20/08/09
      77.   Why is Haaretz ... 19:34  |  Jasper 20/08/09
      78.   to Swiss and to who ever alleged the IDF 19:35  |  Aby 20/08/09
      79.   Jan Bresky and Amish - Tabloid Journalism 19:40  |  Mark Lincoln 20/08/09
      80.   NO RABI IN NY IS INVOLVED IN TRANSPLAN 19:41  |  Ran 20/08/09
      81.   # 63 Ralphie, there is a reason why our 2 countries...... 19:43  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/08/09
      82.   swedish dirty "riposte" for IAI dropping avionics upgrade for 19:55  |  alexander 20/08/09
      83.   IDF could sue the newspaper 19:59  |  Pelle 20/08/09
      84.   Freedom of speech!! 20:00  |  Alan 20/08/09
      85.   Where did the Rabbis get the organs???? 20:05  |  Ibrahim 20/08/09
      86.   Sweden`s anti-Semitic slander is sickening 20:22  |  Alex613 20/08/09
      87.   i-care and his misapprehension #72 20:28  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/08/09
      88.   Freedom of speech 20:29  |  Jonathan 20/08/09
      89.   Sweden not party to envoy`s censure 20:35  |  H. Lotz 20/08/09
      90.   @21 alexander - talking about Suing!! 20:39  |  Ice 20/08/09
      91.   How far down the road 20:41  |  Joseph 20/08/09
      92.   buhuhu 20:42  |  Viktor 20/08/09
      93.   Incitement to genocide by blood libel is not freedom of speech 20:44  |  bernard ross 20/08/09
      94.   Saudi blood libel 20:44  |  Joe 20/08/09
      95.   Swedish newspaper story 20:46  |  Michael Selinger 20/08/09
      96.   Thanx Christopher 65. I`m jaded when it comes to antisemites, but 20:49  |  bat yam 20/08/09
      97.   ANTI-SEMITISM 21:02  |  LARRY 20/08/09
      98.   Renews one`s faith in human nature 21:04  |  Colin Wright 20/08/09
      99.   Great for Arab Media 21:04  |  Tobia 20/08/09
      100.   DISRAELI Moslems are now the greatest purveyors of racist lies 03:26  |  PETER SM 21/08/09
      101.   the question is: is it true moral people? 03:39  |  john Spear 21/08/09
      102.   Anti Semitism My Ass! 03:54  |  Joe 21/08/09
      103.   #68 Saad, Asking Haaretz to do an investigative piece on 04:12  |  Canadian-Israeli 21/08/09
      104.   sweden 07:59  |  m kushelevitch 21/08/09
      105.   face it; there IS a very real "possibility" 08:03  |  eric 21/08/09
      106.   Defamation 09:13  |  christian 21/08/09
      107.   Sweden & What about ? Pig Fat & Hotdogs? 09:24  |  The Teacher/Instruct 21/08/09
      108.   @i-care: Proving negative 09:25  |  christian 21/08/09
      109.   let the facts speak 10:02  |  steven 21/08/09
      110.   Haaretz doesn`t need to spoon feed you the answers. 10:12  |  Rod 21/08/09
      111.   aftonbladet 10:25  |  philip lehrer 21/08/09
      112.   remember the yemeni babies 12:05  |  seth 21/08/09
      113.   17 #59 14:28  |  potobac 22/08/09
      114.   Sweden the mother Land of Race biology 20:01  |  sofi 22/08/09
      115.   Comment 22:39  |  Richard 22/08/09
      116.   #33 Christoh\pher about Yaakov Sullivan 23:11  |  Roni 22/08/09
      117.   SWEDEN a counter-attack 00:15  |  The Teacher/Instruct 23/08/09
      118.   comments to commets 00:10  |  linda 24/08/09
      119.   IKEA LIES 08:46  |  OLAF 24/08/09
      120.   Aftenbladet story 17:46  |  Daniel 07/10/09
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