EU presidency under pressure over Israel organs story

August 24, 2009 by Infowars Ireland

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – With Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu arriving in Europe on Tuesday (25 August) for talks set to focus on settlement expansion, EU presidency country Sweden is embroiled in a diplomatic crisis with Tel Aviv over a newspaper article about Israeli soldiers harvesting Palestinian organs.

Mr Netanyahu on Sunday demanded that Sweden formally condemn the story, which was published last week in Sweden’s top selling Aftonbladet daily.

The Israeli government has said the piece is a modern form of medieval “blood libel” – the anti-Semitic myth that Jews killed Christian children for their blood.

“We’re not asking the Swedish government for an apology, we’re asking for their condemnation,” the prime minister told a meeting of cabinet ministers, according to an unnamed Israeli official quoted in Israel’s Haaretz newspaper.

But while the Swedish ambassador to Israel initially denounced the article, the government has refused to follow suit.

Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt wrote in his widely-read blog on Friday that the country’s principle of freedom of expression means that the government is in no place to condemn any story in a newspaper.

“Freedom of speech is a basic value in Sweden,” his statement said.

Israel’s finance minister, Yuval Steinitz, increased diplomatic tension by saying that Mr Bildt, due to visit Israel on 10 September, is no longer welcome.

“Anyone who is unwilling to condemn such a blood libel could be considered unwanted in Israel,” he said. “Swedish government cannot remain indifferent, and the crisis will remain until Sweden responds in a different manner.” Read full article…