The Foreign Ministry summoned Swedish ambassador to Israel Carl Magnus for reprimand on Wednesday evening after Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom called to investigate the Jewish state for the “execution” of Palestinian terrorists.
Magnus was summoned by Aviv Shiron, the Foreign Ministry’s director-general for Western Europe division, who attacked Wallstrom for her “biased and hostile attitude toward Israel.”
“The minister’s remarks indicate she does not understand what is happening in the region and is probably not aware of the difficult situation Israeli citizens are exposed to – the constant danger of murderous terror attacks,” Shiron told Magnus.
“In view of the Swedish minister’s harmful and baseless attitude, she has removed herself for the foreseeable future from any role with regard to relations between Israel and the Palestinians.”
Wallstrom’s call on Tuesday to probe whether Israel is guilty of the extrajudicial execution of Palestinian “assailants” further fueled already simmering tensions between Stockholm and Jerusalem.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry blasted the statements as “irresponsible and ridiculous,” accusing Wallstrom of “supporting terrorism and encouraging violence.”
Energy and Water Minister Yuval Steinitz charged on Wednesday that Wallstrom is “anti-Semitic, whether consciously or not.”
In his remarks to Israel Radio, the minister accused Wallstrom of singling Israel out, noting that while many other nations kill terrorists, Wallstrom has only demanded an investigation against the Jewish state.
Earlier Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, during a tour in Judea-Samaria with Foreign Ministry cadets, said “Israel is closing its doors to official visits from Sweden.”
Likud MK David Biton pushed for an even harsher measure against the “terrorist-supporting” European country later on Wednesday.
In a letter to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and MK Eyal Ben-Reuven (Zionist Union), the chairman for Sweden-Israel Friendship Association, he called to discontinue diplomatic relations with Sweden, as it “no longer deserves to be called a friend of Israel.”
