Israel Protests Sweden's Approval of Torah Burning Outside Embassy
Shafaq News/ Israeli officials lodged a formal protest with Sweden on Friday after local police granted permission to burn a Bible outside the Israeli embassy in Stockholm on Saturday, labeling the decision a "hate crime."
The Swedish police received a request from an individual two weeks ago to burn a Jewish and Christian Bible outside the embassy as a symbolic gathering for freedom of speech. This request comes shortly after Quran burnings occurred in the same city.
It is currently unclear whether the person intends to burn a copy of the Bible or a Torah scroll. The move has caused widespread outrage among Israeli officials and Jewish groups.
The Times of Israel quoted Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemning the act as "pure hate" and expressed dismay at Sweden's permission to burn holy books.
He stated, "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 worldwide, and I am now heartbroken that the same fate awaits a Jewish Bible, the eternal book of the Jewish people." Herzog emphasized that allowing the defacement of sacred texts is not an exercise of freedom of expression but blatant incitement and hate. He called on the world to unite in condemning this repulsive act.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticized the decision, describing it as a shameful act that harms the most sacred sanctities of the Jewish people.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen condemned the plans and conveyed the severity of Israel's concerns to the Swedish embassy. He called the decision a hate crime and a provocation that caused grave harm to the Jewish people and their traditions. Cohen urged the Swedish authorities to prevent this shameful act.
Israel's Ambassador to Sweden, Ziv Nevo Kulman, expressed his dismay over Stockholm's approval of the request. He tweeted, "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."
The European Jewish Congress also issued a statement strongly condemning the act, calling it provocative, racist, antisemitic, and sickening.
Two weeks ago, the Swedish police allowed a Quran burning in front of a mosque in Stockholm, citing freedom of speech after a court overturned a ban on Quran burning. Sweden's government condemned the Quran burning as Islamophobic while also affirming the constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly, expression, and demonstration.
The Quran and Bible burning incidents have ignited tensions and provoked international reactions, emphasizing the need for respectful coexistence and protection of religious sensitivities.
