REPORTS ABOUT ISRAEL ORGAN HARVESTING NOT RELATED TO RECENT ACCUSATIONS MADE BY SWEDISH AFTONBLADET

 

New York, December 21, 2009 … Recent press reports rehashing an interview from 10 years ago regarding the practices at Abu Kabir forensic institute have no relation to the false accusations that appeared this past August in the Swedish newspaper, Aftonbladet. In the 2000 interview, Dr. Yehuda Hiss, then head of the Abu Kabir facility, acknowledged that body parts were removed for medical purposes only from the bodies of Israeli soldiers and civilians as well as Palestinians and others. Following the revelation, the Segelson Commission was appointed and completely forbade organ removal from deceased persons without family permission. The Commission established these rules governing practice for all Israeli institutions, stating that, in accordance with Israeli and Jewish law, consent from families must be obtained.

The report in the Aftonbladet that accused Israelis of killing Palestinians to harvest organs has been completely repudiated and has no connection to the decade-old report about the Abu Kabir forensic institute. Further, the practice at Abu Kabir was not directed at any group and was immediately addressed by Israeli officials once it became known. The Conference of Presidents decries the practice but notes the immediate steps taken to remediate and establish permanent standards, which are universally enforced in Israel.

                       

“This reprinting of old information must not be allowed to become the occasion for mischief, blasphemous lies or distortions. The media must exercise care to correctly portray the re-release of this nine-year old interview which does not relate to the recent baseless charges. The author of the story in the Aftonbladet admitted that he needed to revisit his own report and that his article contained no substantiation beyond allegations of reports from Palestinians. It provided no evidence to indicate that any Palestinian was killed to ‘harvest organs.’ Such accusations can inflame the region, incite violence and undermine the chances of peace,” said Conference of Presidents Chairman Alan Solow and Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein.