Sweden: anti-Semitic libel? You decide

The Israeli government is outraged over pro-‘Palestinian’ comments by Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Margot Wallstrom (Nitsan Keidar, “Outrage after Swedish foreign minister links ISIS attack, Israel”, Arutz Sheva, November 16, 2015). While speaking about the recent ISIS terror attack in Paris, she ignored actual ISIS comment about the attack in order to claim that its cause was, essentially,  ‘Palestinian’ frustration. In her statement, she justified Muslim terror as Israel-caused (ibid). This is nonsense.

It’s also libel because it’s a false statement that defames Israel. It serves only to damage Israel’s reputation.

To understand that her statement is false, here now is the actual letter ISIS sent out to take credit for the attack. You’ll see absolutely nothing in it about ‘Palestinians’—or Israel.

In their own words, the cause of the attack wasn’t the Arab-Israel conflict. The cause was the immorality of Western values—and the existence of Christianity.

The text is unedited. I have emphasized key phrases:

“LET FRANCE KNOW THEY ARE AT THE TOP OF THE TARGET LIST

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent.

Allah said: They thought that their fortresses would protect them from Allah, but Allah came upon them from where they had no expected, and He cast terror into their hearts so they destroyed their houses by their own hands and the hands of the believers. So take warning, O people of vision.

In a blessed battle whose causes of success were enabled by Allah, a group of believers from the soldiers of the Caliphate (may Allah strengthen and support it) set out targeting the capital of prostitution and vice, the lead carrier of the cross [Christians] in Europe – Paris.

This group of believers were youth who divorced the worldly life and advanced towards their enemy hoping to be killed for Allah’s sake, doing so in support of His religion, His Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) and His allies. They did so in spite of His enemies.

Thus, they were truthful with Allah – we consider them so – and Allah granted victory upon their hands and cast terror into the hearts of the crusaders [Christians] in their very own homeland.

And so eight brothers equipped with explosive belts and assault rifles attacked precisely chosen targets in the centre of the capital of France. These targets included the Stade de France stadium during a soccer match – between the teams of Germany and France, both of which are crusader [Christian] nations – attended by the imbecile of France (Francois Hollande).

The targets included the Bataclan theatre for exhibitions, where hundreds of idolaters gathered for a concert of prostitution and vice. There were also simultaneous attacks in the tenth, eleventh and eighteenth districts, and elsewhere.

Paris was thereby shaken beneath the crusaders’ feet, who were constricted by its streets. The result of the attacks was the deaths of no less than two hundred crusaders and the wounding of even more. All praise, grace and favour belong to Allah.

Allah blessed our brothers and granted them what they desired. They detonated their explosive belts in the masses of the disbelievers after finishing all their ammunition. We ask Allah to accept them amongst the martyrs and to allow us to follow them.

Let France and all nations following its path know that they will continue to be at the top of the target list for the Islamic State and that the scent of death will not leave their nostrils as long as they partake in the crusader campaign, as long as they dare to insult our Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), and as long as they boast about their war against Islam in France and their strikes against Muslims in the lands of the Caliphate with their jets, which were of no avail to them in the filthy streets and alleys of Paris.

Indeed, this is just the beginning. It is also a warning for any who wish to take heed.

Allah is the greatest.”

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This attack was not about ‘Palestinians’. It wasn’t about Israel (as the Swedish Foreign Minister suggested). It was about religion. It was about Islam. It was about the glory of attacking those who ‘disbelieve’ in Islam.

Yes, the Swedes did back-track from their Foreign Minister’s ugly comments. But the comments are still out there. They still libel Israel.

This Swedish Foreign Minister is either anti-Semitic, looking for any excuse or occasion to demonize Israel—or she’s incompetent to engage in honest diplomacy. Either way, she should be fired.

My vote is to call her an anti-Semite. What’s your vote?