Editor's Note: The following two articles were published on the Israeli media outlet, Ynet, on 8/18/09 and 8/23/09, respectively. The Ynet articles complain about 2 articles published in Aftonbladet, a Swedish daily newspaper that accused Israel of murdering Palestinians in order to rob and sell their organs on the underground, international organ-transplant market. Read the report on New York and New Jersey rabbis who were arrested last month for their involvement in illegally buying and selling vital organs harvested from dying victims. Stories of these atrocities are growing in number, drawing attention to Israel as a center for the illegal organ business in the same way that Tel Aviv has gained a reputation for the international human trafficking of young women as sex slaves and men for forced labor. The sex and labor trafficking in Israel was reported on August 18, 2004 in the corporate media. These macabre practices go not only to Israel's attitude toward international law but more importantly, to the very character of the state of Israel and that of those who defend it.

- Les Blough in Venezuela

"The report went on to say that about half of all kidneys used in transplants in Israel since 2000 were purchased illegally in Turkey, Eastern Europe and Latin America, adding that the Israeli Health Ministry was aware of the phenomenon but did nothing to curb it. Aftonbladet also said Palestinian youths who were snatched from their villages in the middle of the night were buried after being dismembered."

Swedish daily publishes second article on 'IDF organ harvesting'

Family of Palestinian teen killed in 1992 tells Aftonbladet reporters IDF soldiers demanded NIS 5,000 to return his body and claimed stitches result of autopsy

Ynet Published: 08.23.09, 20:17 / Israel News

Despite Israel's harsh protests, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet published a second article accusing the IDF of harvesting Palestinian organs.

In the article, published Sunday, Oisín Cantwell and Urban Andersson report from the northern West Bank village of Imatin, where 19-year-old Bilal Ahmad Ghanem was killed during a clash with Israeli soldiers in 1992.

Ghanem's family claims that his body was returned several days later, wrapped in hospital bandages. Aftonbladet published what is said was a photo of the body, which had a scar running from the neck down to the abdomen.

The second article, titled "Mother never stopped suffering; she never stopped wondering," quoted Bilal's brother as saying that the killed teen was "hunted by Israel for protecting his people."

Ghanem's family claims that his body was returned several days later, wrapped in hospital bandages. Aftonbladet published what is said was a photo of the body, which had a scar running from the neck down to the abdomen.

The second article, titled "Mother never stopped suffering; she never stopped wondering," quoted Bilal's brother as saying that the killed teen was "hunted by Israel for protecting his people."

The brother, who was 15-years-old at the time, recounted the shooting incident. "A number of (IDF) soldiers ambushed (the Palestinians) and opened fire. The fist shot hit (Bilal) in the chest, the second in the leg. We believe that he was still alive after sustaining the two bullet wounds."

The mother, Sadija, told Aftonbladet "they could have arrested him, but instead they decided to kill him.

According to the family, the IDF demanded NIS 5,000 (about $1,300) to return the body.

"It was the middle of the night. The soldiers caused an electrical power outage in the entire village. Bilal was returned in a black bag; he had no teeth. The body was stitched from the neck all the way down to the abdomen," the Swedish newspaper quoted the mother as saying.

According to the article, when asked what happened to the body, the soldiers said it had undergone an autopsy in Tel Aviv. The family, however, claims Bilal's organs had been stolen.

The Israeli government declared Sunday morning that it expects the Swedish government to officially condemn the first Aftonbladet report.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "We do not want the Swedish government to apologize, we want it to issue a condemnation."

On Thursday Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman slammed the Swedish Foreign Ministry for saying that Swedish Ambassador to Israel Elisabet Borsiin Bonnier's condemnation of the report does not represent the Swedish government's stance.

"It's a shame that the Swedish Foreign Ministry fails to intervene in a case of blood libels against Jews. This is reminiscent of Sweden's stand during World War II, when had failed to intervene as well," Lieberman said.

Ynet

Swedish daily: IDF killed Palestinians for organs

Article published by Aftonbladet reporter claims soldiers snatched Palestinian youths and returned their dismembered bodies a few days later. Foreign Ministry: Shocking example of Israel's demonization

Roni Sofer Published: 08.18.09, 22:31 / Israel News

Leading Swedish daily Aftonbladet claimed in one of its articles that IDF soldiers killed Palestinians in order to trade in their organs.

On Tuesday the Israeli Foreign Ministry responded by saying that the article "is a shocking example of Israel's demonization." According to the ministry, the Stockholm-based paper accused the Israeli army of organ theft.

The report mentioned Brooklyn resident Levy Izhak Rosenbaum, who is accused of involvement in the recent human organ-trafficking case that caused a storm in the US and Israel. The report said Palestinians claim youngsters were forced to give up theirs before being executed. This suspicion, the report said, may lead to an international war crimes investigation against Israel.

The report went on to say that about half of all kidneys used in transplants in Israel since 2000 were purchased illegally in Turkey, Eastern Europe and Latin America, adding that the Israeli Health Ministry was aware of the phenomenon but did nothing to curb it.

Aftonbladet also said Palestinian youths who were snatched from their villages in the middle of the night were buried after being dismembered. The reporter, Donald Boström, said he was informed of the alleged atrocities by UN employees while he was working on a book in the West Bank.

According to Bostrom, a Palestinian from Nablus who for a number of years headed stone-throwing attacks against IDF soldiers was shot to death in May because he interfered with the activity of the "Israeli conquering forces."

The reporter quoted Palestinian witnesses as saying that Bilal Ahmad Ranian was shot in the chest, leg and stomach and then evacuated in serious condition by helicopter to an unknown location.

Five days later, Bostrom said, Ranian's body was returned to his village, wrapped in hospital bandages.

Aftonbladet published a photo of the body, which had a scar running from the face down to the stomach.

In his article Bostrom quoted a number of Palestinians as saying that their children were killed by IDF soldiers for their organs.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said in response, "We call on every Swedish citizen who holds democracy dear to reject these inflammatory (accusations)."

Ynet

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