Posted on 07/15/2014 5:07:23 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Social Democrat leader Stefan Löfven has been flooded with thousands of negative comments after he posted on Facebook that "Israel has the right to defend itself" in a post about the ongoing Gaza crisis.
The election favourite posted the comment on Saturday night and within minutes he was on the receiving end of angry replies from users of the social network.
"Israel must respect international law but obviously has the right to defend itself. It is a huge tragedy that the violence escalates," Löfven wrote.
Most of the comments were critical of the political party leader's stance with one user posting; "Israel kills right now Palestinian children every day. Is that self-defence?"
Several other people said they had no intention in voting for Löfven in September following the remark.
Others said he was letting the Social Democrats down by not maintaining the stance of the late Olof Palme and Anna Lindh, who were critical of Israel when they were in office.
"It is fairly modest wording but that makes no difference, it is an issue where there is only room for two opinions," political scientist Stig-Björn Ljunggren told Aftonbladet.
Löfven's comment appears to clash with a statement released by the Social Democrats' foreign policy spokesperson Urban Ahlin. In a press release issued on Thursday Ahlin stated that the party needed to be clear in its reaction against the Israeli bombing of Gaza.
He also condemned the Hamas rocket fire against Israel and called for a peaceful two-state solution.
"It's very surprising (what Löfven wrote) as it differs from what the party's foreign policy spokesperson Urban Ahlin said the other day," Ulf Bjereld, a professor of political scientist at Gothenburg University, told Aftonbladet.
On Saturday several demonstrations were held across Sweden in protest over the Gaza bombings. A manifestation in Stockholm attracted over a 1,000 people with many carrying signs which were critical of Israel.
At the time of writing Löfven's post has attracted more than 2,300 comments. He has yet to speak publicly on the furore surrounding his remark.
This is what happens to you if you try to be sensible in Sweden.
The question is, how do you respond to an idiot like this?
If they're stupid enough to think this in the first place, they're essentially beyond reach to a sensible retort.
I guess it is no surprise that the Europeenises hate Israel.
Personally, if the Jews decided to eliminate all the Arabs inside their borders, men-women-chilluns-granny, I would shed not a tear. I’d probably toast them for being expedient.
4000 years of history against 100ish. F ‘em, I never met a Palestinkian I liked, fuzzy headed little preverts.
It’s probably a winner at the polls. Sweden is getting very tired of all the Muslims in Sweden, and all the rapes they carry out.
There are approximately 1.5 million Arab Israeli's. You are supportive of a methodical genocide to kill them all? Do you realize that if Israel did that it would not make the Jewish state stronger, it would destroy it.
Comments like this are not helpful to the Israeli cause.
Thanks nickcarraway. Sweden ping.
My sentiments exactly. I guess if some Islamists set off bombs in Stockholm, these people would organize candlelight vigils and try to have a dialogue with the Islamist fanatics. That would have worked great with Hitler and Hirohito.
I hear ya...
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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If Hamas didn’t hide behind children, the children wouldn’t be dying.
Exactly!
Israel also warns people to vacate. Hamas tells them not to.
Now who is the real evil player here? Israel? B.S.
The world’s media and leaders are simply anti Israel, anti Jew.
As long as missiles are raining down on Israel with no response, all is well in these Jew hater’s minds. When Israel responds with punitive measures, that’s when they wet themselves and wring their hands.
How dare the Jooos! defend themselves. Whatever it is, it’s a war crime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHash5takWU
As always, my opinions are worth exactly what you pay for them. I should have said Hamas, not the Arabs. There must be a good Arab in there, somewhere.
The Israelis are my friends, the Arabs are most certainly not.
Sorry if that gets under your skin, but it ain’t the Jews putting missiles in their kid’s schools. What do you do with a cancer like that? I say cut it out.
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