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Last update - 13:20 12/11/2009
Report: IDF organ harvesting reporter 'rethinking' story
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Sweden, Israel News 

The Swedish journalist who wrote a controversial article claiming Israel Defense Forces soldiers kill Palestinians in order to harvest their organs is reportedly reconsidering his views after a recent visit to Israel, Army Radio reported on Thursday.

Donald Bostrom, according to the report, recently withdrew from participating in an anti-Israel conference to be held in Beirut, citing his recent, and highly contentious, participation in a media-affairs conference in southern Israel as the cause.

"The visit to Israel and the fact that I was part of a fair dialogue made me rethink the whole issue," the Aftonbladet journalist reportedly told close aides.
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At the media conference in Dimona, where Bolstrom was frequently interrupted by hecklers, the Swedish journalist admitted he had no proof beyond the allegations of the families of Palestinians killed by the Israeli army.

His interviewer, Israeli television presenter Yair Lapid, questioned Bostrom's journalistic ethics and accused him of being an anti-Semite "because you are willing to believe the Israeli government would take part in such atrocities."

Bostrom said, "In Sweden, like myself ... we strongly support Israel's right to exist in peace. If you violate the rules ... we have a tradition to criticize. The fact is that the families said what they said. That's a normal article," Bostrom said.

At the time, Bostrom commended the organizers for inviting him and giving him a chance to defend his work in Israel.

Ze'ev Finer, the director of a crisis management firm, and the one responsible for Bolstrom's arrival at the conference, said the report of the Swedish journalist's withdrawal from the Beirut conference was proof inviting him was the right thing to do.

"It's hardly a secret that a lot of people thought it was wrong to bring Bolstrom to the Dimona conference last week, but today we see that the decision to invite him over was right and provides Israel with excellent public relations," Finer said, adding that one only wishes "we had invited him two weeks earlier."

Related articles:
  • Swedish journalist defends IDF organ harvesting report
  • Swedish reporter in Israel: Not all criticism of you is anti-Semitism
  • Swedish paper behind IDF organ theft claims warns against Muslim threat
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      1.   Rethinking story 13:35  |  Paul Uri 12/11/09
      2.   As always... 13:41  |  Amir 12/11/09
      3.   Bostrom is just like BBS & Johnboy 13:44  |  *BEN JABO 12/11/09
      4.   Why it was not a "normal article" 14:04  |  Joe Sittizen 12/11/09
      5.   where were the palestinians? 14:09  |  sam i am 12/11/09
      6.   Corpus Delicti , Corpora Delicti. 14:14  |  Reader 12/11/09
      7.   Rethinking 14:19  |  Marc 12/11/09
      8.   PU, Lotsof Bodies In Gaza Including 320 Minors 14:28  |  Reader 12/11/09
      9.   Although I am pro-Palestinian... 15:49  |  Amir Mohamed 12/11/09
      10.   Typical libel. Once you tell a lie - it is too late... 17:05  |  bat yam 12/11/09
      11.   #9 Amir Mohamed.....It was way out of line 17:10  |  Lynn 12/11/09
      12.   Sorry here is the proof. 17:27  |  Marc 12/11/09
      13.   nice to see honest post Amir Num 9 17:49  |  jonathan 12/11/09
      14.   Well, don`t forget the Jersey story 17:57  |  Basil 12/11/09
      15.   I think it was Avri Gilad TV Interview 18:37  |  Gil 12/11/09
      16.   Marc # 12 and Basil # 14 19:34  |  Amir Mohamed 12/11/09
      17.   #3 Ben Jabo Speaks with poor memory. 21:22  |  Maureen Ann 12/11/09
      18.   Amir Mohamed 21:23  |  me 12/11/09
      19.   Amir Mohamed 21:35  |  Sarah 12/11/09
      20.   Funniest thing I`ve read in years!!! 04:13  |  Johnboy 13/11/09
      21.   #3 Well, that`s certainly a neat trick, BEN 04:17  |  Johnboy 13/11/09
      22.   #4 Here`s something that you may not know, Joe 04:56  |  Johnboy 13/11/09
      23.   Johnboy 09:49  |  Amir Mohamed 13/11/09
      24.   #22 johnboy - and you know, HOW? 10:19  |  CK Tan 13/11/09
      25.   Amir Mohammed 11:01  |  Hebrew Prophet 13/11/09
      26.   17 11:05  |  Hebrew Prophet 13/11/09
      27.   Mutilated Israeli solders bodies 08:38  |  Disgusted 14/11/09
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