Back on August 4th., the world celebrated the 97th birthday of a Swedish hero, Raoul Wallenberg.
At the same time, the Norwegian Royal Family and Government are throwing a one-year celebration in tribute to their writer Knut Hamsun, a Nobel laureate who betrayed his own people during WWII. While his fellow countrymen fought against the Nazis, Hamsun supported them. He even went as far as to give Goebbels his Nobel prize.
And now the Swedes. It is true that there`s is freedom of expression there, but the Swedish government would not impair such a freedom if it stated that the blood libel published in one of the nation`s tabloids, is repugnant. Let alone, it should not reprimand its Ambassador in Israel, who was brave enough to condemn this libel.
Sweden and Norway should learn a lot from Raoul Wallenberg.
Miriam Abitbol
Tel Aviv, Israel
August 23, 2009
