Swedish minister links Paris terror attacks to plight of Palestinians
A Swedish minister has been criticised after linking the situation in Israel-Palestine as a motivation for the terrorist attacks in Paris last Friday.
Foreign minister Margot Wallström was speaking about the terrorist attacks which killed 129 people last week, when she made her remarks.
She said: “To counteract the radicalisation we must go back to the situation such as the one in the Middle East of which not the least the Palestinians see that there is no future: we must either accept a desperate situation or resort to violence,” according to ToI.
In response, Israel’s minister of foreign affairs criticised her comments as “appallingly impudent”.
“Whoever fatuously attempts to create a link between radical Islamist attacks and the current problems between Israel and the Palestinians is fooling himself, his people and international public opinion.
The Swedish foreign minister has consistently demonstrated bias against Israel and exhibits genuine hostility when she indicates a connection of any kind between the terrorist attacks in Paris and the complex situation between Israel and the Palestinians.”
In addition, Sweden’s ambassador to Israel, Karl-Gustav Nesser was summoned by MFA Director-General Dr. Dore Gold for clarification.
Sweden’s embassy in Israel then tweeted that the minister had not said the conflict is linked to the attack in paris.
Swe FM has not said that Israeli Palestinian conflict is linked to tragic events in Paris. Sweden condemns all acts of terrorism.
— Sweden in Israel (@SwedeninIL) November 16, 2015
European Jewish Congress president Dr. Moshe Kantor also criticised the Swedish foreign minister. He said: “Radical Muslims massacred civilians enjoying a night out in Paris and Foreign Minister Wallström tried to make it about the Jewish State,”
“She has completely ignored the remarks made by those behind the attacks, Islamic State organisation, almost as if depriving them of any agency for their reactions.
This is a deeply troubling worldview and borderline racist.”
Kantor continues by saying she |cherry-picks the only conflict involving Jews, as if to ..suggest, perhaps not consciously, the age old idea that the Jews are always central to international affairs in a malevolent way, and behind every event the hand of Jews can be found.”
“The problem is not so much that the Israel is once again blamed for events that it played absolutely no role in, the larger issue is that if some in the West continuously ignore the true motivations behind these terrorist attacks they will never be able to prevent the next one.”
Dr. Kantor added. “This imperialistic worldview which claims to superimpose an ideology and motivation on others is not only misguided it will harm the very efforts necessary to stop those who are undoubtedly planning the next massacres.”
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