Sweden’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Margot Wallstrom. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto/Lehtikuva via AP)





In a seemingly endless string of offensive and biased statements, Swedish Foreign Minister Wallstrom again accused Israel of extrajudicial executions of Palestinian terrorists and called for an international probe. 

Sweden’s foreign minister called for an investigation Tuesday into allegations that Israeli forces have carried out extrajudicial killings in clashes with Palestinians.

“It is vital that there are thorough, credible investigations into these deaths in order to clarify and bring about possible accountability,” Margot Wallstrom told lawmakers.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry strongly rejected the allegations, calling her accusations “irresponsible and delusional.”

Her latest offensive statement was made after four months of near-daily Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers that have killed 27 people.

Condemning violence “on both sides,” Wallstrom noted that the UN high commissioner for human rights, as well as human rights groups, have raised concerns about possible “extrajudicial killings” by Israel.

Sweden’s relations with Israel have been strained since the Social Democratic-led government in 2014 recognized Palestinian statehood, and Wallstrom’s repeated biased comments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have elicited angry responses from Israeli officials across the political spectrum.

This is not the first time Wallstrom has accused Israel of extrajudicial executions of Palestinians. Likewise, Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven claimed that Palestinian stabbing attacks do not constitute “terrorism.”

Swedish opposition lawmaker Jan Bjorklund of the Liberal Party accused the government of shifting the country’s Middle East policy so that it’s perceived to be “siding much more unilaterally with the Palestinian party.”

Wallstrom was quoted by news agency TT as saying she rejects any attempt to “portray Sweden, the government or me as Israel’s enemy. We are Israel’s friend and the Palestinians’ friend and both states have a right to exist.”

‘Irresponsible and Delusional’ Remarks

Israel’s Foreign Ministry strongly rejected the allegations, calling her accusations “irresponsible and delusional,” and saying they served to “encourage violence and terrorism.”

Israeli politicians from right and left rejected Wallstroms’ comments in strong terms.

Isaac Herzog

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog. (Amir Levy/Flash90)

Former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman tweeted that “the only thing the foreign minister of Sweden hasn’t done is physically join the Palestinian terrorists and stab Jews. Given her conduct so far, we need to hope it won’t happen.”

Former foreign minister Tzipi Livni said Israel would not “accept any comparison between our security forces fighting against terror and terrorists. Israel has a moral army and strong judicial system, and therefore there’s no chance we will accept Sweden or any other country meddling in our internal affairs.”

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog said it was “interesting Sweden didn’t respond in the same way when the Paris police killed the terrorists, as they should have,” referring to the attack on a police station in Paris last week in which the terrorist was shot dead .

“And how will Sweden respond when terrorists carry out attacks on its land? Will they then also demand to pat them on the heads because they had a tough childhood?” he said.

Minister Ofir Akunis has called on the government to recall its ambassador from Stockholm.

By: AP and United with Israel Staff