World Jewish News

Swedish FM Margot Wallstrom draws ire in Jerusalem after seemingly linking Paris attacks to Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Israel condemned as “shockingly hostile” comments by Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom which seemed to link the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the ISIS-backed terror attacks in Paris.

The foreign ministry summoned Sweden’s ambassador in Israel for an urgent meeting with its Director-General Dore Gold.

Asked on Swedish television how worried she was about the radicalisation of young people in her country after the Paris attacks, she replied according to a translation provided by the Israeli foreign ministry : “Obviously, we have reason to be worried, not just in Sweden but across the world — because there are so many that are being radicalised. Here, once again, we are brought back to situations like the one in the Middle East, where not least, the Palestinians see that there is not a future. We must either accept a desperate situation or resort to violence.”

The Swedish Embassy in Israel later issued a clarification : “[the] FM has not said that [the] Israeli Palestinian conflict is linked to tragic events in Paris. Sweden condemns all acts of terrorism.”

But the Foreign Ministry on Monday said it felt her ‘’shocking’’ comments did indeed make that link. “It would seem that the Swedish foreign minister is afflicted with total political blindness,” the ministry’s spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon told The Times of Israel.

“This blindness may lead to tragedy.”

“Those who engage in hopeless attempts to link the terror attacks by Islamic extremists with the difficulties between Israelis and Palestinians are misleading themselves as well as the public opinion of their country and the international community,” the foreign ministry said.

In October 2014, Sweden became the first EU nation to formally recognize the “State of Palestine,” drawing an angry Israeli response.

by Maureen Shamee

EJP