The Knesset held a tense discussion Wednesday afternoon over Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom's recent demand to investigate Israel for the extrajudicial "executions" of Palestinian terrorists.
Science Minister Ofir Akunis (Likud) responded on behalf of the government: "I say to the Swedish minister, and not just to her, but to all the European Union ministers who go and get more radical against Israel in service to the Palestinians, stop preaching to us."
"Steps like this or ugly statements like Ms. Wallstrom made, will not bring peace closer, only make it more distant," he charged.
"I do not know, but it could be that a public discourse has been created since we heard Ms. Wallstrom's insane remarks," Akunis continued. "Maybe they even reached the ears of some youths in the Palestinian Authority; they certainly give a boost to terrorism."
"It could be that in addition to official Palestinian incitement, perhaps this terrorist (from Otniel) and the terrorist from Tekoa were influenced by the Swedish foreign minister's remarks and conducted these vile actions."
Joint List chairman Ayman Odeh, however, blamed the "occupation" for "corrupting" Israeli society and contended he did not see what the problem was with Wallstrom's statements.
"The occupation is corrupting Israeli society," he charged. "You think it's impossible to probe cases of actual murder, in a case of murder you don't need to investigate? How can that be? I don't understand."
"A person is a person," Odeh added. "The soldier who returns from here will return with blood on his hands. He could also kill here, because he has already murdered a man. This damn occupation is corrupting the entire society."
Following Wallstrom's incendiary statements last week, the Foreign Ministry summoned Sweden's ambassador in Israel for reprimand.