A diplomatic row between Sweden and Israel deepened in Jerusalem Monday over a Swedish newspaper article, which alleges that Israeli soldiers harvested organs from Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers.
The article in the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet last week implied, without evidence, that there was a link between charges of organ theft from Palestinians and the recent arrest in the U.S. of an American Jew suspected of illicit organ trafficking.
The article unleashed an avalanche of condemnations in the Israeli media with accusations of anti-Semitism and commentators and politicians comparing the article to medieval accusations that Jews killed Christian children for their blood.
On Monday, the paper published an editorial denying Israeli claims. "I'm not a Nazi," Aftonbladet editor Jan Helin wrote. "I'm not anti-Semitic."
Rather than an apology, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is demanding the Swedish government condemn the article.
However, Sweden is resisting the demand, citing freedom of speech. The refusal has launched an online petition calling for a boycott of Swedish furniture chain Ikea's Israeli branch, which claimed to log more than 4,600 names.
Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said that if Sweden continued its refusal to condemn the Aftonbladet story, Israel might cancel a visit by Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt scheduled for next month.
Sweden currently holds the European Union presidency.
Share Tools
Top News Headlines
- Oda's travel expenses cause dissent in Tory caucus
- Conservative MP John Williamson, who was once head of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, has raised the issue of International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda's spending habits behind closed doors with the Conservative caucus. more »
- Canada accused of 'complicity' in torture in UN report
- The United Nations Committee Against Torture has condemned what it calls Canadian "complicity" in torture and human rights violations of Muslim men caught up in the post-9/11 security net. Terry Milewski has exclusive details. more »
- Diamond Jubilee: Your photos of royal encounters
- The CBC Community team asked you to submit your best photos of the Queen's visits to Canada, or visits by any member of the Royal Family. The result was tremendous! more »
- Helicopter crash kills 3 near Terrace, B.C.
- All three people aboard a helicopter that went down west of Terrace, B.C., died in the crash, the aircraft's owners say. more »
Latest World News Headlines
- George Zimmerman ordered back to jail
- A judge on Friday revoked the bond of the neighbourhood watch volunteer charged with killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and ordered him returned to jail within 48 hours. more »
- UN rights body condemns Syria over massacre
- The UN's top human rights body voted overwhelmingly Friday to condemn Syria over the slaughter of more than 100 civilians last week, but Damascus appeared impervious to the crescendo of global condemnation following a string of horrific massacres. more »
- Gaza border clash kills Palestinian militant, Israeli soldier
- A Palestinian militant infiltrated into Israel and set off a shootout that left the infiltrator and one Israeli soldier dead, the military says. more »
- Missing Kansas girl found safe
- A 12-year-old Kansas girl was found safe in Michigan on Friday, a day after her parents said they believed she left her home with a Canadian man she met on the internet. more »
Dispatches »
- Child "bomberitos" on Peru's most dangerous highway May. 31, 2012 3:34 PM The bomberito children of the Andes hitch homemade carts to passing transport trucks -- to aid motorists and victims of disasters in mountains that were once the domain of Peru's Shining Path rebels. They risk their lives for tips that help feed their families.
Connect Newsroom Blog
The Hunt for Magnotta and #bullyPROOF May. 31, 2012 7:32 PM Tonight we'll take you deep inside the dark recesses of the internet for a closer look what's being posted and who watching it.
- Body-parts victim a Chinese student in Montreal
- Edmonton teacher suspended for giving 0s
- Toronto's Union station reopened after flooding
- Owner defends 'gore' site connected to Luka Magnotta
- Copyright board to charge for music at weddings, parades
- Helicopter crash kills 3 near Terrace, B.C.
- New duty-free limits will challenge Canadian retailers
- Alberta teen hospitalized after fight involving dozens of students
- 2,000 jobs cut as GM to close Oshawa plant
