FX.co ★ Israel and Sweden: disagreements and sanctions

Israel banned official Swedish visits on January 13th , the following day after Margot Wallstrom, the Swedish foreign minister, once again blamed Israeli forces for carrying out extrajudicial killings during recent clashes with Palestinians.

At the beginning of December, Wallstrom publicly accused Israel of extrajudicial killings. However, she admitted that Israel has a right to self-defense. Besides, she criticized knife attacks committed by Palestinians.

Wallstrom made her comment after a 17-year-old Palestinian was shot dead near the West Bank city of Hebron after trying to stab an Israeli soldier. Officials said the teenager had a knife in his hand when he approached a soldier securing a junction and tried to attack him.

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

“The only thing the foreign minister of Sweden hasn’t done is physically join the Palestinian terrorists and stab Jews,” said former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman.