Disbelief as Swedish police allow Hebrew Bible to be burned outside Israeli embassy

Swedish police in the city of Stockholm have sparked widespread anger after they approved a request to hold a public meeting during which a Hebrew Bible will be burnt in front of the Israeli embassy. 

It had previously been reported that a man in his 30s was behind a request to burn a Torah scroll and the Bible in front of the embassy, following an earlier burning of a Quran outside a mosque in the Swedish capital that prompted harsh condemnation across the Muslim world.

The application, which was approved on Thursday, grants permission to a person “to express an opinion” in a public place.

According to Swedish media, the burning will take place on Saturday outside the embassy in Stockholm at 1pm.

Israel’s president Isaac Herzog responded to the decision saying:“I unequivocally condemn the permission granted in Sweden to burn holy books.

“As the president of the State of Israel, I condemned the burning of the Quran, sacred to Muslims world over, and I am now heartbroken that the same fate awaits a Jewish Bible, the eternal book of the Jewish people.

“Permitting the defacement of sacred texts is not an exercise in freedom of expression, it is blatant incitement and an act of pure hate. The whole world must join together in clearly condemning this repulsive act.”

A Stockholm police spokesperson said the force would send a team of officers to the Israeli embassy to prevent any disturbance, and stressed the burning of any book had not been approved by police.

“It’s very important to point out that the police do not give approval to such acts,” said the spokesperson.

“We give permission to have a meeting and that’s the difference.”

Israel’s ambassador to Sweden Ziv Nevo Kulman also expressed his dismay over the Swedish police decision.

“I utterly condemn the burning of holy books sacred to any religion, as an act of hate and disrespect, that has nothing to do with freedom of expression,” he tweeted.

But  Aron Verstandig, chairman of the Council of Swedish Jewish Communities said:“I would advise individuals to ignore this event and not give it more attention.”

Sweden’s justice minister has said his government may be open to amending a protest law, after the public burning of a Quran in Stockholm last month sparked fury across the Muslim world.

“We can also see that the burning of the Quran last week has generated threats to our internal security,” he said.