Swedish FM's Israel visit called off
JERUSALEM (AFP) - Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has cancelled an upcoming trip to Israel, the Israeli foreign ministry said on Sunday amid raised tensions over a controversial newspaper story.
However the Swedish foreign ministry said no specific date for the visit had been set.
"We were informed this weekend he was cancelling his visit" that had been due to take place in the coming week, ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP.
Palmor said the reason given for the cancellation was "a problem of timing."
Israeli media speculated that Bildt, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, cancelled the trip in order to avoid an icy welcome in the Jewish state.
In Stockholm, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said no specific date had been set for Bildt's visit.
"All the mentions of dates for visits have been made by Israel," Cecilia Julin said.
"Mr. Bildt is planning to do a visit to the region to the Middle East during the (EU) presidency, but he's waiting for the right opportunity to do it when the peace process is maybe in a more positive state."
"He will do it when the circumstances are more positive," she added.
Tensions between Israel and Sweden have risen in recent weeks over a report in the popular Aftonbladet tabloid that alleged Israeli soldiers stole and sold body parts of dead Palestinians.
The newspaper later said the story lacked proof.
Israel has demanded that the Swedish government condemn the article that it has labelled an anti-Semitic "blood libel." Stockholm has refused, saying that to do so would violate the country's tradition of freedom of speech.
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