The Swedish Canard – not only Smoke, but also Fire: Letter from Zurich

Abstract

On 17 August 2009 the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet published an article by Swedish journalist and photographer Donald Boström, entitled: ‘Våra söner plundras på sina organ’ (‘Our sons are plundered of their organs’), ¹ claiming to expose a human organ trafficking ring involving soldiers in the Israeli army abducting Palestinians to harvest their organs. Boström linked this alleged ring to charges against Levy Izhak Rosenbaum of Brooklyn, arrested for conspiring to arrange the sale of an Israeli citizen's kidney. The article prompted outrage in both Sweden and Israel, with accusations of anti-Semitism and blood libel against Jews levelled against Boström and Aftonbladet.