Israel organ harvesting scandal 'medically impossible'

Published: 31 Aug 09 15:48 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/21798/20090831/

Dictionary tool Double click on a word to get a translation

Aftonbladet's organ harvesting allegations are ludicrous from a medical perspective, writes Andrea Meyerhoff MD, Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who also argues that Sweden missed an opportunity to "reject anti-Semitism and reaffirm principles of good journalism."

The saga of the Aftonbladet article -- an allegation in a Swedish tabloid that Israeli soldiers steal the organs of Palestinian teenagers -- caught me right between the eyes. I’m an American doctor. I’m Jewish; I have Swedish roots. In the supermarket I pick the longest line so I can catch up on the tabloids while I wait.

I read the English translation of this article (‘Our sons are plundered of their organs’ Aftonbladet 8/26/09, original in Swedish 8/17/09). It’s a hoot. Rambling and disjointed, it’s rife with irrelevant statistics and unproven statements, not unlike a recent favourite of mine in the Weekly World News, ‘Dick Cheney Abducted by Aliens.’ That one had photos too.

The Aftonbladet piece raises some medical issues I’d like to address. Among the organs successfully transplanted are heart and lungs- harvested from the chest- and kidneys, liver, pancreas, and intestine-harvested from the abdomen. Two critical issues that determine the ‘health’ of the harvested organ and therefore whether the transplant will be successful are its blood supply and its freedom from infection.

The story relies heavily on the author’s eyewitness account of a tense night on the West Bank seventeen years ago. Recall of the details of an event deteriorates over a matter of weeks or months and concurrent stress such as the presence of gunfire serves as a ‘memory distraction’ that makes accurate recall even more difficult.

Nonetheless the author describes for us what happened in 1992 to one Palestinian teenager whose organs, he believes, were stolen. According to his account, Israeli soldiers shot the young guy in the chest, then in each leg, then once ‘in the stomach.’

I take this last to mean the abdomen, since it isn’t possible to see the individual organ called the stomach from the outside of the body.

A gunshot wound to the chest or abdomen is a serious injury because it can damage internal organs- either by interruption of the blood supply, which causes hemorrhage, or because it causes infection via perforation of the intestine and/or the introduction of a foreign body. A guy shot in both legs can’t go far. Why, if the goal is to steal organs worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, would soldiers shoot an individual in both the chest and abdomen and risk damage to the valuable organs in these body cavities? Such organs are not usable for transplant.

The quality of the argument does not merit too much more ink. The writer of the Aftonbladet article made his most important contribution to our understanding of his work when he acknowledged that he’d not verified any of the claims he made. Most recently, the family of the young Palestinian whose organs were supposedly swiped said they’d never talked with the journalist and had no reason to think any of his allegations of organ theft were true.

As much as I enjoy the medical side of things, I think there’s a more instructive reading of this article. When I look at it with historical eyes, it has a macabre humour of its own. Is this writer serious? This story is such an old one, a twenty-first century version of the blood libel that has fueled brutality against Jews for centuries. The Aftonbladet piece made much of the story of the recent corruption bust in New Jersey that snared a couple of disgraced rabbis allegedly brokering human organs for cash. How is it that an American scandal that resulted in the arrest of 30 people, among them elected officials with the last names van Pelt, Cammarano, Elwell, and Vega, ends up a Scandinavian-modern version of medieval anti-Semitism?

The Swedish ambassador to Israel should be recognized for her recent condemnation of Aftonbladet’s revival of this hardy perennial of anti-Semitism. But the Swedish foreign ministry looks only disingenuous with its flat-footed protestations of respect for freedom of the press. That’s not what this is about. A modern European nation gave up a chance to make a simple statement to both reject anti-Semitism and reaffirm principles of good journalism.

Why they chose the route they did I don’t know, but Sweden looks parochial and out of step. We live in the information age. Read the blogs of any major news story. The public is wise to low journalism and increasingly rejects hate-mongering. The government of Sweden should get with the programme and do the same.

Andrea Meyerhoff MD is a faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Fark It! Digg This Facebook  Share everywhere
Send to a friend Printable version Twitter This

Your comments about this article:

The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

19:14 August 31, 2009 by skatty
I read some weeks ago about US rabbis caught by FBI; human organs were one of their illegal business. I don't know if the story of Aftonbladet is true or not; however there is a long time war in Israel and according to the "Global Peace Index", it's the fourth dangerous country in the world: (http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/results/rankings/2009/)

The best thing is that the Israel government investigates the matter. Anything inhuman happens in Israel doesn't necessarily mean that its government has done it, may be some people and organizations do some dirty businesses!
19:42 August 31, 2009 by Grippen
Agree with skatty: if Israel wants to deny its human organ stealing accusations, it should investigate all those claims under international supervision. Anything less is just pouring gasoline into the blood libel bonfire.

Attacking the Swedish newspaper is the worst possible reaction at all - it just proves that Israel is far from being a democracy.
20:04 August 31, 2009 by Bob Jacobson
Sweden's history of "tolerance" for the Jews, except for the last century, is pathetic. It ranks with the worst of the Continental abusers in that regard, except perhaps for the Inquisition. So far as we know, no Jews were burned at the stake in Sweden -- because they weren't asked to recant -- but they were ghettoized, discriminated against in the workplace (although Jewish bankers propped up various Swedish regimes), and until the turn of the 20th Century, denied rights we typically take as endowed on all human beings. Raul Wallenberg's admirable efforts to save Jews from the Nazis and the welcome accorded the Danish Jews in 1943 isn't sufficient to wipe clean the slate.

Before Swedes start calling Israel undemocratic for criticizing an inflammatory, sleazy article without editorial substance, in a respected daily newspaper that should have known better than to fall for the blood libel scam, they should invest a little time reexamining their own history and considering what other inherited myths leave them vulnerable to such outrageous manipulation, racism, and unwarranted hatred. It should have been Swedes that called out Aftonbladet.
23:28 August 31, 2009 by Khamees Hasan
* 'medically impossible' : A big title, and no medical info, just two lines, and That's it, ACCEPT, or you are Anti-Semite!

* Trying to avoid the real issue, and instead going to doubt Boström memory. Aren't you people tired of this technique? Can't you be more creative and come with a new one? Always attacking the person, and avoiding discussing his/her ideas!!

*The New "Blood Libel"? a great article you need to read, try to do it in the morning, as I really would love to ruin your day hXXp://counterpunch.org/weir08282009.html
23:30 August 31, 2009 by anduthinh
Re: Bob Jacobson

Aftonbladet is a popular newspaper with many readers but can hardly be described as a "respected daily newspaper", reserve that title to DN.

I personally refuse to buy Aftonbladet because of its "sensation-type" of news reporting.

Go to BBC News online for the good free news!
00:33 September 1, 2009 by DamnImmigrant
It is incredible that in this day and age of easy access to information, that some people would choose to believe a lie than to search for the truth.

Yes, this story of killing people and then taking their organs is, as the author points out "medically impossible"! You cannot harvest the organs of dead people straight off the street. The body still has to be alive to harvest the organs. There is a technique where the transplant team will "pull the plug" and wait for the heart to stop, but this technique results in fewer viable organs!

IMAGINE THAT! The transplant team is standing right there waiting for the heart to stop beating, and they still have a poor success rate! The technique that really works is when the person is declared brain dead and the organs are taken while the body is on life support.

I guess people are just too lazy to do the research themselves. It is too easy to believe the IMPOSSIBLE LIE that to find out the factual truth!

So WHY SHOULD ANY INVESTIGATION, why WOULD ANY INVESTIGATION need to be done? Why should anyone have to defend themselves against charges that cannot possibly be true?

As far as WHY Israel is so vocal about this Swedish article? You have to CONSIDER THE SOURCE! I saw somewhere that Aftonbladet has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Sweden. SWEDEN, you know, that neutral country that is trusted around the world because of its truthfulness and honesty!!!! The Aftonbladet is NOT seen as a RAG newspaper, like the one the AUTHOR was describing where 'Dick Cheney Abducted by Aliens.'

So an article coming out of the largest newspaper in Sweden that says 'Our sons are plundered of their organs', carries a lot of weight! Just look at all the idiots who are writing in believing IT MUST BE TRUE!

I DEMAND THAT AMERICA INVESTIGATES DICK CHENEY's ABDUCTION BY ALIENS! IF the US wants to deny its human stealing accusations, it should investigate all those claims under international supervision!
02:37 September 1, 2009 by ppk
@ DamnImmigrant

You absolutly right.

But the question is: why such newspaper (or so called) as the Aftonbladet has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Sweden?

Perhaps because its content targets mainly that kind of neo-Swedes not known to be particulary favorable to Israel or to the Western civilization.

And this population is growing quickly. Just an exemple from Canada: ten years ago there was fifty thousands neo-Canadians from Pakistan, today they are one million. Twenty times more. At this rate, could you imagine how many neo-Swedes it will be in ten years? Twice the "original" population. It's time to buy some shares of Aftonbladet...
03:49 September 1, 2009 by DamnImmigrant
@ppk - great stock tip! Thanks!

Scarry!
07:09 September 1, 2009 by mdl123
You, Swedes, have proved yourselves to have the latent antisemitic desease, now disguised behind the cloak of freedom of speech.

Instead of self reflection of your own colaboration with the Nazis during the last war under the guise 'Neutrality' you are in a denial mode of any wrong duing during this phase of your miserable lives as propagators of the latest blood libel against the Jews.

If you would have tried to offend the Moslem in a similar fashion, heads would have rolled.
08:53 September 1, 2009 by mdl123
Another conspiracy theory??

Grow up!

Does one have to disprove every stupid theory propagated by lonely and miserable souls?
09:30 September 1, 2009 by ofdesign
Sweden has lost it's way. It's people and government have stood shoulder to shoulder supporting the lying ways of the Swedish press. To me it shows the Swedish nation wants to believe in this vile propaganda.

The loser in this exercise is the Swedish press. It has lost all it's validity and credibility. If a Swedish scientist makes a great discovery and the Swedish press writes about it, no one should believe it until a real journalist from another country verifies it. It's like the boy who cried 'wolf' once too much. That's how a country like Sweden will pay for it's hatred.
10:25 September 1, 2009 by mdl123
Well said. ofdesin.

The Swedes can keep their VOLVO'S and ASCO'S , because I for one, will not be bying any.

The Swedish press is not he only culprit in this mess.

All Swedes stand condemned for condoning this attrocity and allowing it to fester.

Shame on you Sweden!
11:34 September 1, 2009 by Oxartes
Aviad Klingberg wrote in today's "Yediot Ahronot" (Israel's largest-selling daily newspaper) & questioned why the Swedes harped so much on freedom of expression: "Even Avigdor Liberman did not ask the Swedes to silence people, close newspapers or put people on trial. Israel expected Sweden to carefully and diplomatically express reservations over the article that smelled too much like a blood libel." Bingo. All FM Bildt needed to say (jnstead of thwacking the Swedish Ambassador to Israel over the knuckles) was: "Yes, we have freedom of speech in Sweden but the article was atrocious drivel." Neither the article nor official Sweden's reaction to it contributed one iota to any serious debate of the conflict between Israelis & Palestinians, on the contrary.
12:47 September 1, 2009 by peropaco
Aftonbladet is the largest selling newspaper for obvious reasons. If you shave off part of Stockholm, certain parts of Malmö, Götheborg and Uppsala then what's left are a bunch of snus doing Djävla bönder. Those are the ones that makes up for the majority readers of aftonbladet including the bondlurk posting on the local
13:07 September 1, 2009 by Britswedeguy
Tabloid newspaper in published article not thoroughly researched shocker!

Clearly, the Jew-hating Swedish government is to blame *sarcasm*
13:39 September 1, 2009 by Oxartes
No, the Swedish government is not "Jew-hating" just mealy-mouthed in its response to an obvious piece of rubbish. Perhaps it is being mealy-mouthed because it is loathe to offend the 400,000-500,000 Muslims in Sweden? Ya know, it has taken 1,277 years but Charles Martel's victory at Tours is finally being undone. The nice folks at the Basilique Saint-Denis report that his body is backflipping at 732 rpm.
13:40 September 1, 2009 by Grippen
Reading through comments I am wondering: why israelis and jews in general can't condemn the illegal organ trade first, and then explain why shot palestinian body was sewed. That would be a constructive position. Now it seems that they have put themselves way above swedes, not even speaking about palestinians. Not surprisingly, no one likes "uebermenchen".

If middle ages are already mentioned, I would recommend to read prof. Ariel Toaff book "Blood passover": blood rites haven't been just libel, it was actually practised by some ashkenazi sects. And mind you, prof. Ariel Toaff is a jew himself.

Statement that muslims in Sweden are respected more than jews also does not hold any critics - there have been Lars Vilks drawings os Muhammad dog published in newspapers.
14:01 September 1, 2009 by grantike
i do not get why are almost evry article raised to controversy here are always judged by race and intergration.what is this all about.this article is now on world stage something that should have been solved gently and peacefully.

now here people are busy talking about neo-canadians and neo-swedish.its really crazy.we are not complaining of cultural infuence from other countries.once it becomes a problem i tink the goverment will have a solution
14:35 September 1, 2009 by Kaethar
"Why, if the goal is to steal organs, would soldiers shoot an individual in the chest?"

Because it was not a goal to steal organs. The accusation is that they removed the organs from MORTALLY WOUNDED people. People who were dying anyway and were for some reason transported to Israel for a week to do an autopsy when cause of death is obvious. Medically possible? Of course it is. It's not recommended to do organ transplants of shot people (tetanus risk) but when you're desperate you're desperate.

Nice try though. At least someone tries to disprove the article...
14:44 September 1, 2009 by KipHamilton
The unsettling thing here continues to be the overiding double standard. While I believe the organ harvesting article is undocumented and irresponsible, freedom of speech does allow it to be published. But so should freedom of speech have allowed the publishing of the Mohammed cartoons.Swedes are so proud of their governments support of freedom of speech in this matter by its refusal to condemn the story. But not only did Sweden condemn the Mohammed cartoons, they went much farther in violating the principles of freedom of speech by shutting down websites which showed those cartoons. So now Sweden is the great champion of freedom of speech.Doubletalk, doublethink, tinged with anti-Jewish sentiment.Shame.
16:35 September 1, 2009 by browneyes10
@Tony Ryals comment # 11. Well explained.

@ ofdesign , mdl123. I think you both need psychiatrist opinion and even they can not help you because of your close mind and running far away from truth. Yes truth but ofcourse ''bitter''.
17:44 September 1, 2009 by mysticbumwipe
First of all nowhere in the article does it suggest Bilal's organs were stolen for transplant purposes. Just that they were removed.

We know that organs were removed form other bodies for medical students to do research on.

Secondly, even if they were he apparently WAS alive though wounded when he was abducted.

Thirdly, Bilal's case was just one example that the journalist witnessed of a youth coming back with a huge surgical scar. So what is the explanation for it?

Any of you supporters of the IDF and Israel in this case got one?

Finally, the main issue for me is that the IDF could be policeman, judge, jury and executioner for this youth all without a word being exchanged with him.

THAT really is the story that's getting passed over here again and again.
20:42 September 1, 2009 by Uncle
Ha - an Iranian paper had a spin on the story. Apparently Israeli soldiers are following the funerals and then at night - steal the dead bodies from the graves! What a scandal! Let's go on demonstrations with the brave Hezbollah warriors marching in front!

Of course organs can be used from a 2 days old dead that lay in a grave - who does not know it? Especially the smart iranians...

And Khamees Hasan - there are 60 lines of medical explanation (unlike in Aftonbladet), probably your reading capability is a bit deteriorated from being so loving and tolerant towards the Jews. And yes - accept facts of no blood of christian children in Matzas - or you ARE an anti-semite...
21:46 September 1, 2009 by bill.lunn
I find it extraordinary that any rational, thoughtful person could support the swedish government's " freedom of speech " position about this article but condemn the mohammet cartoons. whether from anti-semitism or cowardice,the swedish government' and those who support it are hypocrites and bigots at best; mild psychotics suffering from " ides fixes " at worst.
21:51 September 1, 2009 by Coalbanks
BOB JACOBSON/ As you pointed out the Swedes were not as bad as the continental anti-semites with their pogroms of rape/torture/murder so lighten up on Sweden, OK? What's your complaint" That Sweden WASN'T bad enough?As for harvesting organs: not likely to work if you damage the organs or starve them of blood/oxygen so harvesting from cadavers is not likely. Maybe the military was playing head games with the Palistinians - damaging the corpse/removing organs to offend the living?
01:26 September 2, 2009 by Hagrid
It seems quite a few posters here ignore the most important concept of justice: everyone is presumed innocent, until proven guilty. NOT the other way around. If you accuse someone of wrongdoing, you better have sufficient and reliable evidence to back up your accusation. No evidence? Don't accuse!

It is Aftonbladet's responsibility to prove its claims against the IDF, not the IDF's responsibility to prove its innocence.
01:34 September 2, 2009 by AnatoleE
I'm baffled. What business is it of this individual to make these kinds of condescending, obtuse statements about things she obviously have a very limited grasp on?

Every sane person who has read that article knows it's tripe. Aftonbladet publishes tripe on a daily basis. That is not what this is about, for heaven's sake! The government simply won't review newspaper articles. If it had to officially condemn every newspaper article that any group of people could find offensive, they wouldn't have any time to, you know, govern.

The Israelis can condemn the author of the article or even Aftonbladet for publishing it all they want. I agree with them that the article was a farce. But demanding that the Swedish government should officially condemn shows a clear lack of understanding how the Swedish freedom of speech works. It's petulant and petty to make such a big issue out of this.

It certainly doesn't help that people like Andrea Meyerhoff makes these kinds of inane statements to the press.
04:08 September 2, 2009 by newyork77
Hi Guys,

i cant believe how people in Sweden are stupid and believe in really crappy story.

People don't like Jews because ,Jews are very superior in everything and everywhere .G_ d give m this gift ,and Who no like Jews not like G-d.G-D give Jews land and nobody no have right take this land.

OK Guys G-D bless AMERICA and ISRAEL.
08:24 September 2, 2009 by mdl123
Swedes are not welcome to Israel.

Keep your foreign minister at home!
08:27 September 2, 2009 by JDV
Opportunity Knocks….

This article should have been rejected as pure propaganda. Dr. Meyerhoff knows full well that organs are routinely harvested from gunshot and severe accident victims around the world, including Johns Hopkins.

She is trying to confuse us with the issue of this being a deliberate shooting for harvest instead just a cheap profit motivated crime of opportunity.
08:35 September 2, 2009 by Bob Jacobson
@Coalbanks, the reason I brought up Swedish anti-Semitism in past centures -- which was bad enough, it didn't have to be worse to be despicable -- is that it leaves some Swedes vulnerable to belief in blood libel stories and thus they become defenders of these stories. This creates a false balance when in fact the stories are simply unbelievable, especially without a shred of confirmed evidence (as was the case from medieval days). See @Grippen above, who states unequivocally that "Ashkenazi sects" still practice cannibalism or whatever. It's typical not only for Jews but any people under attack that they are declared guilty unless they can prove their innocence of crimes that haven't occurred. Your own speculation that the Israelis may have cut organs out of bodies to "play games" with the Palestinians goes against every grain of Jewish religious ethics as and would also violate the IDF's ethical charter. Hearsay is so easily taken to be evidence and thus the story grows.
10:07 September 2, 2009 by Xxsarahxx
As a regular average person of society I say.....

People are allowed freedom of speech and that is what this is all about. We condemn other countries for sensoring what their people see and hear. It is so very important for the development of free thinking!

One other thing, If they didn't do it then why are they so defensive about it? If it is not true then say that , shrug and let it go.
10:44 September 2, 2009 by Frobobbles
I don't understand this claim of a thousand year old 'blood libel'. Did jews really have such advances in medicine that long ago, so they could do transplants of organs? I will doubt it until evidence is presented. Meanwhile, it is well known that in the present day transplants, Israel is the center of the illegal organ trade.
11:14 September 2, 2009 by mysticbumwipe
Dear Bob Jacobson and all the others like you who hold to the same form of total denial of reality.

Whether the article is badly written or whatever,

whether jews are upset by this or whatever,

the FACTS remain that this reporting is not unsubstantiated, nor an isolated example of the same story, nor is it based on rumour and libel. You need to do more research and be more open to conclusions that you clearly find unthinkable.

As another reader has suggested, if you are at all interesetd in the facts then read the following article which appears to be touching just the tip of the ice-berg:

http://counterpunch.org/weir08282009.html

Daniel Böström and Aftonbladet I salute you for bringing this back into the public domain.

Bilal Achmad Ghanem - repeatedly shot, then kidnapped then killed without ANY proof of any crime - may you R.I.P. (remember that thing... what was it ...er, ...oh yeah, "innocent till PROVEN GUILTY" as you Israeli supporters keep protesting?)

May your sorrowing family and all the other relatives of killed youths in the occupied territories find comfort in the fact that the ex-judicial killings of their near and dear ones by the IDF has not been nor will be forgotten.

I hope the veracity or not of the many reports of unpermitted organ theft by Israeli forces be investigated thoroughly and honestly by the Israeli authorities.

To Carl Bildt, respect!
12:02 September 2, 2009 by jgsturgeonmaster
In many ways Swedish society are very forward thinking...but I think most foreigners living in Sweden would agree Swedes overestimate the moral high ground they seem to think they have over every other nation in the world. Swedes are passively antisemitic......thats just how it is.....

having said that, I dont think this is an example of that. The reporter only stated what the Palestinians are accusing Israel of...he didnt report that this is what is happening.
12:03 September 2, 2009 by mdl123
Someone must hava harvested Swedish brains.

They are brainless...
15:11 September 2, 2009 by Grippen
It is just funny to see how Bob Jacobson is bending the truth. He is claiming that "See @Grippen above, who states unequivocally that "Ashkenazi sects" still practice cannibalism or whatever.", while in reality I only refered to prof. Ariel Toaff book about medieval Italy.

Why it is so scary for jews to accept that they are also able to commit crimes and then move forward? Look for example at brave danes: they are not afraid to accept that it was Danish king, who is in charge of the blood bath in Stockholm some centuries ago.
15:17 September 2, 2009 by Igor.P.
There is a mirror on the wall, regular, normal person will look in to it and see something that he wants to see....

What we read in all those latest comments including the original Aftonbladet article is not reality but a stigmatic reaction to a mirror reality; it is instant, flat, violent and almost in all cases is ugly.

Most of those writing here are making faces, some violent and scary, some funny and welcoming.

You will never fill like Jew or Palestinian kid that has been hated and beaten because their faith on this earth. This is poor to seat in front of a 20" flat screen in well conditions and feel involved by making faces in to the mirror.

Shame on you.
15:17 September 2, 2009 by DamnImmigrant
@mysticbumwipe - "...coming back with a huge surgical scar. So what is the explanation for it?"

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SAY THIS but -

You guys really need to watch MORE TV shows, like CSI. Everyone out there who watches ANY TV knows that those big scars on dead bodies, usually in the shape of a "Y" are from AUTOPSIES!

Why would Israel autopsy dead people that they shot and/or killed? MANY reasons! Mainly because maybe the Israelis are not the horrible barbarians some people NEED them to be!

Maybe they want to know who really killed who and how. It is one thing to kill someone who is shooting back and it something totally different when a prisoner who had no signs of injury suddenly dies in captivity.

The bottom line is that civilized countries do autopsies to find out the cause of death.

Islam does not believe in any desecration of dead bodies so I can see how that would freak some of them out!
15:23 September 2, 2009 by mdl123
Swedes not Nazi collaborators?

Read on...

'From 1935 until the end of the Second World War, the 'Nuremberg Laws' were applied by the clergy of the Church of Sweden in their state function of announcing marriage banns and considering impediments to marriage. These laws prohibited marriage between Germans of 'Aryan' descent and

Germans or foreigners of Jewish extraction. Sweden's application of the legislation took place in accordance with a Hague Convention of 1902. From September 1937, Swedes wishing to marry a German of 'Aryan' descent had to sign an assurance that none of their grandparents on either side

had belonged to the Jewish race or religion. This was based on a strong recommendation from the legal department of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, but lacked historical and democratic legitimacy and was, moreover, alien to the Swedish sense of justice.

In 1940, for example, Sweden recognised a judgment in the German Landesgericht court in Berlin annulling a current marriage between a German 'Aryan' and a Swedish citizen of Jewish descent, who was thus declared an unmarried mother, while the couple's son was retroactively classified as

illegitimate. Although the Ministry for Foreign Affairs admitted that it lacked authority to interpret Swedish law, its instructions came in practice to have the effect that a German judgment was observed in Sweden. Another, similar case of annulment of marriage on the German legation's

request affected a married couple who were summoned to appear before the Kolbäck district court, in the Snevringe rural court district, and describe the circumstances of their marriage in the United Kingdom. Thus, this court showed considerably greater alacrity in following the German legation's request than the Ministry's somewhat more sluggish legal department. However, the annulment decision was never recorded in Sweden, probably because of the clergy's refusal.

Neither members of the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament), the Minister of Justice nor the courts behaved in line with their counterparts in the Netherlands, where all mention of Dutch 'Aryans' or 'Jews' was rejected on the grounds that the country's inhabitants was classified only as Dutch citizens. Nor were the German forms rejected by the Swedes, as sometimes happened in the Netherlands since they were not based on the legislation concerning civil law that both countries had undertaken to comply with but, rather, had only been sanctioned by the application regulations of public law.'

Want to know more? read your own 'Vetenskapsradet'
19:18 September 2, 2009 by bill.lunn
Hey Tony Ryals,

You need to chill. Most well educated people know that Sweden is a very hypocritical country with a laughable moral superiority complex. Its business elites are also amongst the world's greediest. It used to be highly regarded for producing pretty, free spirited blondes, but advances in hair dye technologies have removed that competitive attribute. There is still IKEA...but oops...like wasn't the founder a Nazi sympathiser. Oh well.....
23:08 September 2, 2009 by mysticbumwipe
To DamnImmigrant. Duh! Autopsies?

What sort of purpose is served by performing autopsies on people whom Israeli forces have themselves just killed? Errm... Isn't that normally to discover the CAUSE of death?
23:48 September 2, 2009 by Swedishguy
To me Dr. Meyerhoff´s article does not prove a thing. I am not a doctor myself but since Meyerhoff does NOT say it is impossible to harvest organs from someone who just got killed I assume it is possible. Of course, it would be hard to use any of the organs from the guy who was shot in the stomach. You don´t have to be a doctor to figure that out!

Also, it seems a bit strange to perform autopsies on all people killed in action. What is the purpose of that?

That said, I highly doubt the Israeli government would let its army harvest organs from Palestinians killed in action. But I assume there are crooks in Israel just as there are in all countries. I think the authorities in Israel should investigate it further!

Talking about Sweden´s role in WWII seems a bit irrelecan in my opinion.
01:42 September 3, 2009 by mdl123
The difference between the way Judaism and Christianity values human life differs categorically from the way Islam does.

Human life is sacred among Jews and Christians but does not have the same value among Moslems.

How else could you explain the killing of innocents by so called 'suicide bombers'?

By the way, whoever called those Moslem terrorists 'freedom fighters', think again.

How come most of their victims are Moslems as well?

Whom are they trying to free in Iraq, Afganistan, Pakistan....
02:39 September 3, 2009 by DamnImmigrant
It is fascinating to see SOME people DISPLAYING a mental phenomenon called "MOTIVATED REASONING". -- "Rather than search RATIONALLY for information that either confirms or disconfirms a particular belief, people actually seek out information that confirms what they already believe." (Dr. Steven Hoffman)

ANYONE who wonders about this organ harvesting issue only has to search the web regarding organ harvesting and the answers will be come very clear. Read my "PULL THE PLUG" in my previous post and you will see why TIME is EXTREMELY critical in organ harvesting!

Then mysticbumwipe wants to know about the bodies "...coming back with a huge surgical scar. So what is the explanation for it?", he asks.

When it is explained to be from an autopsy, he then does a Peewee Herman and says I knew that! But then he wants to know Why would Israel autopsy dead people that they shot and/or killed?

I had already explained earlier but because of motivated reasoning, he probably missed it so I will reprint it here again.

Why would Israel autopsy dead people that they shot and/or killed? MANY reasons! Mainly because maybe the Israelis are not the horrible barbarians some people NEED them to be! (oops, I just lost mysticbw again)

Maybe they want to know who really killed who and how. It is one thing to kill someone who is shooting back and it something totally different when a prisoner who had no signs of injury suddenly dies in captivity.

IMHO, the FACT that they are doing autopsies shows that they care about the deaths and determining the exact cause of death. (damn, I just lost mysticbw again) Results of the autopsy; "I thought we killed him but it turns out the fatal shot did not come from one of our guns!"

Some people cannot hear what they DO NOT want to hear! Even when faced with the FACTS! That is when the COGNITIVE DISSONANCE kicks in!
02:56 September 3, 2009 by Jonas Persson
Seems like the Israeli government doesn't fully understand what "free press" means. The Swedish government is not in the business of commenting on individual articles in individual newspapers. The moment a government starts to have official opinions on what the media reports, then the media isn't really free, is it? As long as nothing illegal is written, Swedish press can write whatever they like. This is a very strange request from the Israeli government, and goes against the the principles of free speech as specified by the Swedish constitution. It also makes one wonder how free israeli press really is...

Let's imagine the situation had been the reverse. It would be unthinkable for the Swedish government to issue a protest against the israeli government for something a privately owned newspaper had written. Tabloid newspaper make up stories on a regular basis, be it in the U.K., in the U.S. ("Green Baby Born"), or Sweden. Who are we kidding here? This is not about the content of some newspaper article, it's truth or verifiability. This is about what The Economist rank as a flawed democracy's lack of understanding of what free press means (Economist Intelligence Unit Index of Democracy, on Israel).

Israel has a lot to learn, just like its muslim anatagonists who not long ago attacked Scandinavian embassies, issued death threats, demanded apologies, and boycotted Scandinavian goods because of what an artist respectively a private newspaper chose to draw for fun or art and publish. I can tell you all that in Sweden everyone is free to make fun of any person or religion, and yes, that includes the king, the prime minister, Jesus, Muhammed, or any other real or perceived figure. I can also tell you that one of the few restrictions in the freedom of speech is the law against hate-speech towards ethnic groups, for example jews.

I bet few of you have even taken the time to read the article in question. It speculates, and I don't think the word "jew" is even mentioned. Please don't tell me that you actually believe everything that you read in a sleezy tabloid. It is not a research journal we are talking about here. I also wasn't many months ago that some fantasy-full article about Sweden appeared in an israeli newspaper. Like probably most Swedes did, I just shook my head. Grow up, learn what real democracy means, and get a life!

P.S. Before you use the nowadays increasingly diluted and meaningless accusation of "anti-semitism" that Israel randomly uses to lash out against anyone criticizing its policies, maybe you should be aware that the Swede Raoul Wallenberg is credited with having saved the lifes of about 100,000 jews from the Holocaust. He is an israeli honorary citizen. Many other Swedes as well as the Swedish government saved thousands of other jews by helping them flee to neutral Sweden. (Ask them how "anti-semitic" Sweden is!) There are 18,000 jews in Sweden, many extremely successful and well-respected. D.S.
05:32 September 3, 2009 by Igor.P.
I wonder has any one of those writing comments, ever been at war, lost his friend in a battle, seen his family die in explosion in cafe ever been beaten for his religion, ever had his dear taken from him... If not, You are so full with BLIND, UNREASOND, HOLLOW hate.. call it a anti- Semitism, anti - Zionism (if such a thing as Zionism is still exists), anti - Muslimism... it is only a rhetoric's for the idea of HATE
06:30 September 3, 2009 by sweco1
Is Andrea Meyerhoff one those Meyerhoff that emigrated from Ukrainian?

It's just more propaganda from Delta!
07:15 September 3, 2009 by mdl123
It seems that the only ones fighting wars today are Moslems against Israel, Moslems against United States, Moslems against Europeans (in afganistan) and mostly Moslems against Moslems everywhere else and their main aim is to kill innocent civilians in the name of their religion.....
08:53 September 3, 2009 by karex
@Jonas Persson

Bravo!
10:05 September 3, 2009 by mdl123
.....

and Moslems fighting Russians (Beslan massacre), Moslems fighting Chinese (Uighur), Moslems fighting Africans (Darfur) , in a word, they are fighting with the whole world.

About what?
11:51 September 3, 2009 by psylence
Never mind wether the story is true or false.

Why is it that whenever Israel is shed in a bad light everyone starts yelling anti-semitism at the top of their voices?

Yes israel is a primarily Jewish nation, but how does accusing a person or several persons of commiting a crime have anything whatsoever to do with their religious beliefs?

How does accusing a person or a few persons who happen to be Jewish become an attack against everyone in the world who is Jewish?

Any of the following believers can potentialy commit henous crimes: Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Rastafari, Zoroastrians and even Jews.

It doesn't make any sense whatsoever to equate acusations against a few people of one religion as an all out attack against all followers of that religion and the basis of their beleifs (Unless that be that "no one of us can do any worng")

Some of the worst cases of racial discrimination and hate are to be gathered from the West bank and what has happened and continues to happen each day on the palestinian side of the wall.

So wether this article is true or not, and of course it may truely not be, I ask is the word jew mentioned or alluded to even once in the article?
16:34 September 3, 2009 by bongo8
Hi Bill, Love your comment #47.

Will sing in every football match with sweden.

Cheers

Bongo8
17:39 September 3, 2009 by mdl123
Shed a tear for the downtroden Palestinians.

GDP per capita in the West Bank and Gaza comes to $3,380, much higher than in Egypt and significantly higher than in Syria or Jordan. Why should any Palestinian 'refugee' resettle in a neighboring Arab country?
20:23 September 3, 2009 by Hagai
To Grippen:

Why should either Israelis or Jews condemn the accusation against Rabbis in New-Jersey.First and foremost they are not accused of illigal trade of organs but with other charges.

Secondly,they are individuals like yourself do you condemn any Swede who commits a crime?

Your stance is the vivid example of Antisemitism but you know I don't give a damn cuz I ma happy to live in my independent country Israel.Long live Israel!
15:11 September 4, 2009 by shez10
today:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8237287.stm

..."Scores of people are reported killed after a Nato air strike blew up two fuel tankers hijacked by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan.

The governor of Kunduz province told the BBC that Taliban leaders were among at least 90 killed. Witnesses said locals extracting fuel also died.

Nato said its commanders believed that only insurgents were in the vicinity

But Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said reports of civilian deaths were being investigated"...

90 people; most civiiians...are killed by forces includes europe solgiers...

is not it time to condemm europe???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
18:04 September 4, 2009 by Jonas Persson
Illegal organ trafficking in Israel of Arabic organs is obviously going on:

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2009/09/04/bts.indo.quake.survivor.cnn
22:00 September 4, 2009 by Jonas Persson
Please Tony Ryals, 9/11 was the second attempt at blowing up the World Trade Center. They tried with a truck bomb in 1993, which luckily only blew out the basement. It is very clear who carried out the attack that time. It is known in detail. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_World_Trade_Center_bombing Then Osama bin Laden is supposedly the man behind them.

By the way, can we please leave ideas of a Jewish conspiracy on 9/11 out of this thread, which has nothing to do with 9/11. This is about organ trafficking and freedom of speech - and to some about negative attitudes towards Israel and/or Jews - but I think we can all agree that this article has absolutely NOTHING to do with 9/11.
09:35 September 5, 2009 by samidavid
I agree with the following, as (Skatty) and Grippen: (Agree with skatty: if Israel wants to deny its human organ stealing accusations, it should investigate all those claims under international supervision. Anything less is just pouring gasoline into the blood libel bonfire.

Attacking the Swedish newspaper is the worst possible reaction at all - it just proves that Israel is far from being a democracy.)

if any body want to see in video such these crimes, please send to sami6david@yahoo.com, I can send you a similar crime of Jewish solders in video.
08:14 September 6, 2009 by Cornelius Hamelberg
When we fail to see a creeping, lurking or open anti-Semitism for what it is - or when we try to shout down and silence voices raised in protest - then , what are we?

It is not as if anti-Semitism is non-existent - it has a long history in Europe and every student of that history is aware of it's most terrible consequences, culminating in the Holocaust.

See what you make of this - as a feature of that long history, still in the making and if unchecked every step of the way could lead to a wave of public sentiment which starts with a little " innocent"/ innocuous" fire fanned by cheering spectators but for that determination: NEVER AGAIN!

http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw2001-2/bachner.htm
18:04 December 21, 2009 by robertsgt40
Andrea- The label of anti-semite doesn't carry much weight any more. For starters, you and most of you tribe are of the Khazars. You would/should know that. The people Israel are trying to exterminate are the semites(ironic, hey). The veil is rapidly dropping off the tribes secrets. Push will come to shove at some point. It won't be a pretty day for you and your fellow travelers.
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Today's headlines
Three arrested for killing of Swedish soldiers

Three arrested for killing of Swedish soldiers

Three men have been arrested in Afghanistan on suspicion of being connected to the the death of Swedish soldiers Johan Palmlöv and Gunnar Andersson near Mazar-e Sharif on Sunday. READ (9 COMMENTS) »

Parental 'child sick leave' peaks in February

Each February, Swedish parents take an estimated 600,000 paid leave days to take care of sick children, according to new Social Insurance Agency statistics. READ »

'Only good foreign soldier on Afghan soil is a dead one': Jan Myrdal

'Only good foreign soldier on Afghan soil is a dead one': Myrdal

Swedish author and anti-war activist Jan Myrdal has sparked outrage following a public lecture in which he appeared to welcome the killing of Swedish, US and other soldiers. READ »

Sharp increase in asylum seeker deportations

Sharp increase in asylum seeker deportations

The number of asylum seekers deported from Sweden rose by 1,300 during 2009, according to new figures from the Swedish Migration Agency. READ »

Dental service probed as girl dies after toothache

The Swedish Welfare Board is set to investigate the Swedish Public Dental Service after a nine-year-old girl died following repeated visits to the dentist complaining of toothache and an abscess. READ »

Ingrid, 79, declared dead by Swedish tax authorities

79-year-old Ingrid Ståhl of Malmö in southern Sweden found out to her surprise that she had been registered as dead after a mistake by the Swedish Tax Agency. READ (8 COMMENTS) »

Söderling claims comeback win

Söderling claims comeback win

Swedish tennis star Robin Söderling showed no signs of the elbow complaint which knocked him out of the Australian Open, firing 26 aces to earn a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Frenchman Florent Serra on Monday in the Rotterdam Open. READ »

Man shot on Stockholm street

A 29-year-old man was shot on Södermalm in Stockholm on Monday night. He was hit in the leg and in the shoulder, but was able to call an ambulance. No one has been arrested as the man refuses to talk to the police. READ (1 COMMENT) »

More Analysis & Opinion

Blog Update: Boston Blatte

09 February 22:56

Safety: overly conscious? »

"No one is surprised to hear that safety is important to Swedes. After all, the first 3-point seat belt was first put into production for cars in the Volvo PV444 in 1959. But there are moments when I think that the devotion to safety extends beyond the fair margin to allow for Darwin Award nominees...." READ »

Poll

Are you interested in subletting your apartment in Sweden within the next two years?

   

View Results
Highlights
Photo: Tommy Andersson/Scanpix
SPORT »
Biathlete Helena Jonsson gunning for gold as Swedes set sights on ten Vancouver medals
Two year wait for Stockholm flat: report
NATIONAL »
Two year wait for Stockholm flat: report
Photo: www.finest.se
GALLERY »
The weekend's 'finest': February 5-7
Photo: Siri Ambjörnsson
SOCIETY »
Finding your inner Agnetha: The camp turning out a new wave of Swedish rock mums
Photo: www.stureplan.se
GALLERY »
Midweek revellers: February 3-4
Photo: Cathy Yeulet
LIFESTYLE »
February in Sweden: No sex please, we're cold
Photo: Billy Talent by Dustin Rubin
LIFESTYLE »
What's On in Sweden: February 4th - 11th Billy Talent, Bodypoppers, Bob Marley tribute.
Photo: Roland Karlsson
OPINION »
Profile: Sweden's new Minister for EU Affairs, Birgitta Ohlsson: A colourful politician with feminist credentials and lofty ambitions.
Photo: Piteå Kommun
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Swedish Rail Destinations with SJ: Piteå is best known as a summer destination, but wintertime offers skating across the ice in the Gulf of Botnia and cosy dinners in the pretty town centre.
Latest news from The Local in Germany
Blog
  • 5 questions for Diana Orving
    Diana Orving’s line consists of organic yet edgy fashion. The garments are delicate and luxurious. Both structured and deconstructed elements coexist in many of her pieces and produce a surprising...
  • 5 questions for The Local Firm
    The Local Firm is a young independent label created by Richard Hutchinson and Axel Nyhage that is based in Stockholm. The label has a reputation for a refreshing viewpoint on fashion. Drawing...
  • 5 questions for Kerstin Ekman
    Swedish author Kerstin Ekman started writing detective novels, then moved on to more psychological and social themes. In September 2009 she released her latest novel Mordets praktik. Sweden.se asked...
  • The Swedish Model in practice
    The term “Swedish Model” is used to describe the fact that the Swedish society is based on a high degree of public financing. Let’s find out what this means in practice by following a regular...
Essentials

Jobs - in Sweden, in English
Get your career on track with our job listings from Sweden's top employers.

Property - renting or buying in Sweden
Navigating the minefield of renting or buying an apartment or house in Sweden.

Weather
"There is no bad weather, just bad clothes," say the Swedes. Here's the forecast for everyone else.

Introducing...
Every week The Local serves up a spicy helping of Swedish celebrity for your delectation.

Stockholm Syndrome
Tales of crazy Swedish classes, hamfisted attempts to understand - and explain - real Swedes, and varied experiences of fellow foreigners gathered for your amusement.

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »

Jobs in Sweden, in English

124 jobs in Sweden, in English
53 new jobs this week
20 new jobs today

ALL JOBS »

Jobs
Expatriate in Stockholm?
We offer services for foreigners who've recently moved or are planning to move to Stockholm. Corresponding with local authorities, organizing your home, seeking childcare and domestic help, plus more.
MORE INFO
Counseling in English Individuals & Couples - Stockholm
Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now
Visiting Stockholm?
Then you'll find The Local's new Stockholm Section useful. Find pics, guides, news and lots of useful information about Stockholm.
www.thelocal.se/stockholm
The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS
Welcome to Adlon Hotel in Stockholm
A perfect location both for business and pleasure. Centrally located, with atmosphere.
www.adlon.se
Winter archipelago tours
Visit Stockholm's beautiful archipelago. Great boat tours for all preferences.
MORE INFORMATION
Doctor of Psychology
Therapy in English

David Schultz PsyD
Individuals & couples
In Stockholm in person or by phone or video conferencing
www.anxiousorblue.se
Play football in Stockholm
Kick-off the new football season with LFC, Stockholm's premier English-speaking football club.
MORE INFO
JOB: Trainee Sales Executives
Midfield Media, a leading provider of events and executive forums, is seeking Trainee Sales Executives
FULL JOB DETAILS
Enjoy a beautiful winter weekend in Västervik
Treat yourself with a calm and relaxing weekend in beautiful archipelago surroundings
MORE INFORMATION
JOB: Copy editor and English speaking project manager/editor
Tidningskompaniet, one of Sweden's leading agencies for custom publishing, seeks two new employees in Stockholm and Göteborg
FULL JOB DETAILS
Folk High Schools in Sweden
The Swedish Folk High Schools have courses that give you the possibility to bring out all your colors!
www.folkhogskola.nu