Response to interpellation 2025/26:435 on the murder of the Swedish diplomat and UN mediator Folke Bernadotte
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns the murder of Folke Bernadotte and demands that Israel take responsibility through a public apology and financial compensation 1 2. M argues that the murder was an act of terrorism and that Sweden and the UN have criticized Israel's lack of investigations 1 3. M emphasizes that a memorial service in 1995 was seen as a gesture of reconciliation 4. - argues that the government should demand an apology and compensation to achieve historical justice and redress 2 5. - argues that the murder is part of a pattern where Israel eliminates opponents and that the government should act with courage 6 5.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! Jamal El-Haj has asked me if I and the government intend to demand that the state of Israel take responsibility for the murder of Folke Bernadotte. Jamal El-Haj has also asked if I and the government intend to demand that Israel issue a public apology to the Bernadotte family and to Sweden for the murder of Folke Bernadotte. Jamal El-Haj has finally asked if I and the government intend to demand that Israel, by reason of the murder, provide financial compensation to the Bernadotte family.
Folke Bernadotte was a highly respected international mediator and humanitarian whose actions, not least in the form of the white buses as well as his efforts for peace in Israel and Palestine, have left a strong legacy. The murder of Folke Bernadotte in Jerusalem, where he was on a UN mission, was an act of terrorism and was widely condemned by both Sweden and the international community.
Both the Swedish government and the UN have carried out extensive efforts to create clarity regarding the circumstances surrounding the murder. Clear criticism from both Sweden and the UN has been raised against Israel's lack of investigations into the crime.
Jamal El-Haj (-)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, for the answer!
I want to begin by quoting the historian Herman Lindqvist. ”On Friday, September 17, 1948, three diplomatic cars drove without escort into the Jewish part of Jerusalem. Suddenly, the street was blocked by a jeep. Four uniformed and armed men jumped out of the jeep and ran towards the third car in the convoy. They raised their automatic weapons and emptied the magazines against the car's back seat. There sat the UN mediator, the Swedish Count Folke Bernadotte, with two staff members."
Bernadotte was hit by six shots, his French assistant by seventeen. Both men died immediately. The four murderers shot out the cars' tires and radiators, after which they disappeared with their jeep. Already the day after the attack, it was clear that it was the underground Jewish terrorist organization Lehi (The Lion of Judah), often called the Stern Group, that was behind the attack. Bernadotte managed to hand over two mediation proposals before he was killed. In the second, he spoke about the division of Palestine into two states. The Stern Group considered Bernadotte to be a British lackey and a sworn enemy of Israel.
No one was ever convicted for the murders, even though the four murderers were identified and three of them, over the years, confessed to the acts in several interviews in Swedish media. The primary person responsible was appointed head of the first Israeli prime minister's bodyguard, while the one who was operationally responsible for the attack, Yitzhak Shamir, later became prime minister himself.
Sternligans many murders were regarded as Israeli acts of heroism. The attackers were decorated with a special medal of bravery, which was created for those who "contributed to the founding of the State of Israel."
This fact raises fundamental questions about responsibility, justice, and historical redress. Against this background, the demand for an official apology from Israel appears reasonable and justified. The murder was not only an attack against an individual Swedish citizen, but also an attack against a representative of the UN and thus against the international community at large. It gives the event a broader significance, where not only the individual but also the principles of international responsibility and protection for diplomatic missions stand at the center.
That the fact that no formal apology or compensation has yet been offered to Bernadotte's family or to the Swedish state can be interpreted as a remaining deficiency in the historical accountability. The absence of such an acknowledgment leaves the question open and contributes to the historical reckoning remaining incomplete.
This also raises questions – not only about history but also about principles. If we are serious about international law and responsibility, we cannot choose when it should apply. Principles that are only applied selectively risk losing their significance. If international law is to have real weight, it must apply consistently – regardless of time, place, or actor. Otherwise, it is reduced to being something conditional rather than a stable foundation for international cooperation.
Israel must take its responsibility. Sweden must clearly demand this, and Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard needs to act – not only in words but also in concrete action.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! In this contribution, I intend to dwell further on the mediator Folke Bernadotte and will then return to the other issues in the next contribution.
As the UN's first international mediator, Folke Bernadotte worked for a sustainable and just solution in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. He was a strong advocate for a peace that met both peoples halfway. His work laid the foundation, among other things, for the UN's first peacekeeping mission: United Nations Truce Supervision Organization.
The murder of Folke Bernadotte was a crime that cannot be excused. Sweden and the international community immediately condemned this atrocity. A Swedish review of the Israeli murder investigation was commissioned by the government and led by the then State Prosecutor Maths Heuman. It was established that Israel failed in the protection of Bernadotte in his mediation role. The review also showed that the Israeli criminal investigation suffered from serious deficiencies, which were conveyed in clear words to Israel.
A specially appointed Israeli commission found the Swedish criticism of the investigation justified and concluded that the ultimate responsibility for the failure to prosecute the attackers lay with Israel.
Jamal El-Haj (-)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the answer!
Still, we have not been able to see any apology from Israel's side, but only investigations. This historical event gains further relevance when it is put in relation to contemporary political decisions in Israel. The recently adopted legislation on expanded possibilities for the death penalty has sparked extensive criticism, not least from human rights organizations and European governments, including the Swedish one. The criticism concerns a lack of legal certainty, unequal application, and the risk that the law in practice is primarily aimed at Palestinians.
When a state introduces or expands the death penalty, especially in a context where the independence of the judiciary is questioned, fears arise about how power can be used against political opponents. In this perspective, the murder of Folke Bernadotte can be seen as a historical parallel. It was a situation where an actor perceived as standing in the way of political goals was removed without subsequent legal accountability.
The murder of Folke Bernadotte was neither the first nor the last in this context. It can be seen as part of a larger pattern. For decades, Israel has targeted people who opposed the ambition to control all of Palestine. This applies not only to soldiers but also to journalists, authors, poets, doctors, politicians, and human rights activists. These are people who have not carried weapons but who have used the word as their primary tool.
Here in Sweden, the criticism of Israel's occupation of Palestine and the genocide in Gaza has often been met with accusations of antisemitism or terrorism romanticism. Such labels are repeatedly used as tools to silence, dismiss, and discredit criticism.
We have seen it in the treatment of, among others, former Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, Greta Thunberg and Zara Larsson. At the same time, many have chosen to applaud this, sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes out of convenience and sometimes because it coincides with their own political interests. The silence and acceptance thus do not become passive, but an active part of the problem.
Overall, the murder of Folke Bernadotte, the new death penalty legislation, and the treatment of Israel's occupation opponents point to a deeper issue concerning responsibility, justice, and the exercise of state power. Fundamentally, it is about how historical actions are handled and which principles are allowed to govern today's political decisions.
The question is therefore not only historical, but deeply contemporary: Shall accountability be demanded, or shall silence and selective justice continue to characterize international action? It is a crossroads that not only shapes the image of the past, but also determines the credibility of today's and tomorrow's politics.
That is why I wanted to give Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard an opportunity to act and contribute to giving Folke Bernadotte the vindication he deserves – for the sake of his reputation, for his family, and for Sweden.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! When I read the interpellation – and also now in the debate – I honestly had quite a hard time seeing the connection between the murder of Folke Bernadotte in 1948 and the criticism that Jamal El-Haj otherwise presents against Israel.
If I am to focus on the latter part in this post, I note that the Israeli Knesset's adoption of a law on the death penalty represents a serious departure from the long-standing practice where Israel has maintained a de facto moratorium on the death penalty.
Sweden, together with the EU, opposes the application of the death penalty everywhere and regardless of circumstances. We have also repeatedly condemned this, which we have addressed in previous debates here in the chamber today.
Sweden continues to emphasize to Israeli counterparts that international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights, must be respected. This applies in particular regarding Gaza, where the humanitarian situation remains very difficult. The implementation of the peace plan risks stalling. Sweden therefore continues to push the issue of humanitarian access and calls for an immediate implementation of the peace plan.
Sweden is also clear that the settlements on the West Bank violate international law. In addition to increased settlement construction, the unacceptable violence from settlers has also escalated. This cannot continue.
In addition to the dialogue with Israeli representatives, the government has, as part of increasing the pressure on Israel, therefore been proactive within the EU for the introduction of sanctions against extremist settlers and against extremist Israeli ministers. We will continue to push the issue, and we have also initiated work to produce further proposals for sanction listings.
Madam Speaker! We see that Hamas has still not been disarmed but has instead strengthened its grip in Gaza. The government is therefore also pushing within the EU for the framework for the disarmament of Hamas to be implemented. Hamas cannot have a role in a future governance of Gaza.
In the same way as Jamal El-Haj stated that he gave me opportunities, I want to give Jamal El-Haj the opportunity to explain how he views Hamas and what principles he has when it comes to contacts with terrorist organizations such as Hamas.
Jamal El-Haj (-)
Madam Speaker! Thank you very much, Minister for Foreign Affairs!
I have chosen in my interpellation to attempt to account for historical connections to cases where Israel has eliminated its opponents. It began with Folke Bernadotte 78 years ago, and it continues still. I tried to prove how Israel attempts to brand its opponents with antisemitism, acts of terrorism, and so on.
It is remarkable that the government does not demand that Israel take responsibility for the murder of Folke Bernadotte. The government should without delay demand a public apology to the Bernadotte family and to Sweden as well as demand that financial compensation be paid.
Avoiding this question undermines the government's credibility. A clear demand for accountability would not only give the Bernadotte family the redress they have long been denied but also contribute to finally clarifying and settling the issue.
By acting decisively, the government can show the courage that previous governments, including social democratic ones, have lacked. Such leadership would strengthen Sweden's position both nationally and internationally and increase confidence for future generations.
Finally: I hope that Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard takes the time once again to carefully examine my question. It is ultimately about justice, about redress, and about courage – the courage to act in accordance with the principles that Sweden says it stands for, even when it is politically difficult.
In a previous interpellation debate with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, I have declared my position regarding terrorist organizations. I am clear and firm on my part. There is no one in Sweden's history who has answered that question more than I have.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! Folke Bernadotte's efforts, deeds, and commitment to the UN have made him a symbol for international peace work. His vision of peace lives on even today, even though it is in a time where it feels difficult to gain traction for his vision.
I have already accounted for in some detail for the investigations that have been carried out and the criticism that has been voiced both from the Swedish side and from the international community regarding Israel's handling of the investigation into the murder of Folke Bernadotte in 1948.
I note that on May 14, 1995, a memorial service was organized for Folke Bernadotte and the White Bus expedition in Tel Aviv and Yad Vashem. Israel was represented by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Sweden by Vice Prime Minister Mona Sahlin. Members of the family were also present through Folke Bernadotte's sons Folke and Bertil. The meeting came to be seen as a gesture of reconciliation from all participating parties.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.