Summoning of Swedish Ambassador in Israel Following Tensions in Bilateral Relations

Israel summoned the Swedish ambassador in Tel Aviv to protest the statements made by the country's foreign minister regarding the "execution" of Palestinians. According to Israeli media, senior officials from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the ambassador on Wednesday, January 13, that the remarks of the Swedish foreign minister were "irresponsible" and amounted to "nonsense." Margot Wallström, the Swedish foreign minister, stated in the Swedish parliament last Tuesday that Israel kills Palestinian perpetrators of recent street attacks without trial, and this behavior should be investigated by a commission. In the past five months, the Israeli army and security forces have killed more than one hundred and fifty individuals involved in recent street attacks moments after the attack or before any attack could begin. Israel claims that the perpetrators of these attacks are akin to ISIS forces and that just as France claims the right to kill those responsible for terrorist attacks, Israel must also act quickly to ensure the safety of its people. Palestinians argue that Israel's harsh response is "extrajudicial killing." Swedish officials have supported the Palestinian viewpoint, stating that the perpetrators of the attacks should be arrested and tried. According to Israeli media, Tzipi Hotovely, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel, stated on Wednesday that her country would halt any communication with Sweden regarding Israeli-Palestinian cooperation and would prohibit the presence of Swedish diplomats in Israel. Ofir Akunis, a minister from the Likud party, also told Tel Aviv media that Israel should expel the Swedish ambassador. Yuval Steinitz, another Israeli minister, stated that Sweden's leniency towards extremist Islamists has led many Muslims in Sweden to recently join ISIS, but the Stockholm government is preoccupied with issues concerning Israel instead of addressing its internal problems. Avigdor Lieberman, a former Israeli foreign minister, also commented that "it is only left for the Swedish foreign minister to take a knife herself." The Swedish foreign minister had previously angered Israel with her statement that the prolonged suffering imposed on Palestinians is one of the factors contributing to the growth of Islamic extremism following the Paris terrorist attacks. Following these remarks, Ms. Wallström postponed her trip to Israel to a more suitable time. Relations between Sweden and Israel have soured since last year following the rise of Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and his government's readiness to recognize the state of Palestine.