STOCKHOLM - Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt on Monday rejected calls from Israel to condemn a report made by a Swedish newspaper that Israeli soldiers stole organs from the bodies of dead Palestinians.
The popular Aftonbladet daily made the allegations in a story last week, sparking anger in Tel Aviv and prompting senior figures in the Israeli government to demand that Sweden distance itself from the report.
But Reinfeldt said it was not for the government to comment on the content of every newspaper, stressing that a free press is an integral part of Swedish democracy.
"It's important for me to say that you cannot turn to the Swedish government and ask it to violate the Swedish constitution," he was quoted as saying by the TT news agency.
Reinfeldt also rejected the suggestion that the row could undermine his country's work in the Middle East peace process as the current holders of the EU presidency.
"Political ambitions always risk being used as an excuse to break off contacts or efforts, but I have no reason to believe that (is what is happening) at this point in time and I hope it won't go down that route," he said.
A spokeswoman for the Swedish prime minister later confirmed the comments.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt is expected to visit Israel in two weeks' time and Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor has said that the incident "will cast a worrying shadow over meetings if it is not resolved".
Bildt, however, downplayed talk of a diplomatic row when questioned by reporters on Friday.
"We have a very strong state relationship between Israel and our government," Bildt said.
Elisabet Borsiin Bonnier, the Swedish ambassador to Israel, had initially expressed outrage at the article, but Stockholm distanced itself from her remarks several days later, drawing an angry response from the Israelis.
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