Sorry man, you just confirms having no historical AND up-to-date knowledge..But I will help you, you should stsrt to look up: Israel is NOT killing civilians, I am sure your statement relates to casualties of war. Israel has a ratio less than 1. Your belowed Nato has shown more than 3 in Libya. In addition, the wars has been put on Israel by your islamic friends. Then, Israel is NOT stealing land, read the christian bible. At last, from where has you confirmed that Israel is killing Greek humanitarian? You amaze me...Do the rest of Icland have the same view? LOL

Yeah. Our problem is that we didn't commit suicide like you all want!

No Linichka, you don't need goodwill, but you seem to need a good education and to learn some basic manners.

Perhaps you should have all Israelis immigrate to the US, that should make ya'll happy.

these comments here that you don't like stem from the your general public's lack of understanding..or lack of wanting to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hence, you allow your politicians to take an anti-Israel approach through general ignorance. Is that the face of Iceland? If so, what can we expect from your heart?

Dear Anna, what on earth are you talking about?I think you are in the dark... Sincerely, Gábor Fränkl

You got it....sentiment. What is sentiment? Is it a fact, a reality, a truth, a lie, a policy....? No it's not, a sentiment is a feeling, a floating moment, a passage. As much as Israel appreciates your sentiments in Iceland, your comments of sentiments show that you don't have a clue. It's 'not about sentiments, it's about 'preventing another Jewish Holocaust, this time by the Arabs, with the help of naive and/or anti semitic (never died) Europeans. Maybe you and other Europeans don't care about that but Jews & Israeli's are 'not being led again to another Auschwitz. It has 'nothing to do with "questions Israeli's should ask themselves", for they ask these questions 20 times per day, every day. It also has 'nothing to do with their actions or politics. Their politics are the RESULT of the 'official and never changed position of the Arabs and the so called Palestinian to build a state (which never ever existed before) on Jewish soil and dead Jews.

So what is being suggested? Should nobody talk about Tibet for fear of enraging the Chinese? Should nobody talk about WWII for fear of the Germans? Should we avoid talking about child-molestation so that the Catholic church won´t get angry? Are you suggesting that the situation right now in Israel/Palestine is ideal? All over the world people from diverse backgrounds have come together to form communities and live in harmony so it must be a testament to Israel´s inability or even unwillingness to find a solution to the current situation that a 1st world country with strong infrastructure like Israel cannot coexist with it´s less developed neighbor. Forget about some Icelandic politician and his feeble attempts for fame, who cares who he talks to? It´s on Israel with all it´s wealth and power and prosperity to settle this matter and I think it´s about time people stop stalling that process by whining over petty things like Ossur Skarphedinsson visiting some powerless ambassadors of a non-existing country. And regarding our volcanos.... do you think we have them erupt on purpose? Mr. Gerstenfeld cannot be serious when he implies that the Icelandic people are in some way to blame for tectonic plate movements and the volcanic activity connected to them.

No can do. You don't have any.

Its sad that Jews, that do not want to be victims of racism are acting like this. To say that Icelanders are Jew haters is absurd. Who is the racists now ? This article is rubbish.

Actually Anna, even the assumption is WRONG. No, no sweatheart, not every country is forthing-at-the-mouth Israel-haters in Europe. There are some who aren't like Italy increasingly, the Czech Republic, Poland, even Denmark and Finnland. How is that for starters? Please crawl back into the hole in the frozen ground you sliped from.

Too much noise for an island who has not made any contribution to humanity. They play the part of the "usefull idiots". That's all they know, that's all they have been thought in their liberal media and that's all what they are good for. No matter how you dress it up, a jew can always smell anti-semitism. Afterall we have been putting up with it for almost two millenia. Cheers from sunny Tel Aviv.

on behalf of Iranian people and all the Iranian women activists and children activists who are sentenced to many years of jail simply becuase of their protests against Islamic oppressors and are being tortured in Iraninan jails under Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader, Khamenei, I would like to spit in the face of this Iceland official and all the others who love Islamic dictators just becasue they hate Jews and Israel. These crusaders will alwasy hate Jews and Israel and democracy and they will always love evil and hatred. May God proteact Jewish people from these hateful people and save them and Iranian people from Islamic dictators.

"Grimsson has been President of Iceland since 1996. As a curious aside - in 2003, he married an Israeli woman." Well that's a rather unspectacular way of saying that the First Lady of Iceland, Dorrit Moussaieff, an elegant lady, grew up in Jerusalem before becoming an international stateswoman. The last time she visited Israel it is reported that she was treated with contempt at BG airport. Maybe that's got something to do with it.

In the dark about what, exactly? I live in Iceland and I'm fully aware that the Palestinian cause has gained support here in recent years. That's a fact, although a small minority still calls itself "friends of Israel". Israel is in breach of various UN resolutions. That is a fact. Examples: Resolution 452: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to cease building settlements in occupied territories". Resolution 465: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's settlements and asks all member states not to assist Israel's settlements program". Resolution 471: " . . . 'expresses deep concern' at Israel's failure to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention". So, the Icelandic "sentiment" is, after all, based on solid fact.

I'm sure it's useful to wave the anti-semitism flag every time someone criticizes Israel. After all, that saves you from ever having to look at the merit of others' arguments. However, not only anti-semitists criticize Israel's policy. Many Jews are also unhappy with the country's direction and they can hardly be called anti-semites. For those who think this is simply a lone foreign minister seeking "fame": You are mistaken. The current Icelandic government has in its official policy document from May 2009 that one of its goals is "to build political connections with the Palestinian government" and that "Iceland supports their (Palestinians) right to self-determination and independent state". So, this is actually official foreign policy.

Pagan, are we? Well, do you eat Puffins or don't you? What about you Icelanders eating your pony meat? Where does it stop?

Most of the comments from people here expresses a lot of hate and ignorance toward the common icelander. Have the Icelander turned into the Jude of today in Isreal and among its "friends" abroad?

The anti Israeli approach we take isn´t an anti Israeli approach. We take the anti war approach. We hate it when fighter aircrafts even come to our country to refuel. We hate the fight, noth the fighters. Like Socrates Israel can defend what they have been doing, but not how they have been doing it.... Our society is not without racism actually we are racists in general but even so few would openly curse another country or even another person on a racist basis. We love so dearly our first lady who is an Israel citizen. Regrading the Zwasticas... It is a old logo of a shipping company wich supplied the UK with supplies during WW2 keeping UK alive during the war. Biggest hits Iceland took during the war was the sinking of the companies ships... Something we are proud of and it would be unfair for any nation to force us to change or be ashome for our history only because of a company logo. Thera are still blond arian people born every day. They have done nothing wrong and should not feel ashamed because of something another blonde arian person did 60 years ago. But of course they as all other citizens of this earth should learn from history, that countries and societies that bully others are not to be tolerated and should be publiicly spoken against. Israel kills people. How can that be OK?

It's not anti-semitism; it's merely a condemnation of the extreme arrogance and oppression that Israel has shown in it's relations with Palestine and the international community for decades. By childishly sheltering themselves from criticism by crying out: "anti-semitism!" when faced with the slightest opposition , it's no wonder that the people of the world dislike Israel. An it has nothing to do with religion.

So what if our politicians visit gaza and other your arab neighbours. No need to be so incredibly sour... and to dig up some historical Icelandic racists... as if Iceland was historically a big anti-semite... If you search you will find all sort of loonies, even I expect in Israel.

Hmmm does Iceland have bad food, I think you may have gotten it confused by England ;)

You ask about swastikas and other symbols that are on buildings in Reykjavik. The thing is, the swastika and other symbols used by the hated Nazis are far older then Nazi Germany. The swastika was used by Hindu worshippers many hundred years ago and many Ásatrú symbols(norse belief symbols) were also stolen and used by the Nazis. I'm a heathen, me and my family we practice the old nordic beliefs, our faith has never gone into war with another faith and we're sickened by the fact that we can't wear some of our most sacred symbols because we would then be marked as Neo-Nazis or something worse in countries that know nothing about our past. I lived with a great jewish family for 5 years while I attended college in the States, I even went to Israel....I have jewish friends, they're not fooled by a trashy article like this one, obviously written to brand a whole nation because of the wrongdoings and silly behaviors of few, both in the financial meltdown and in international relations with Israel and Palestinia. Do all Israelis want to be branded by the wrongdoings of their electorates and army officials??? I think not.... Fare well, and don't be fooled by stupid writings of one journalist.

It is interesting article to read, and the comments even more. No debate of any kind or dialog about issues others than if you are of another opinion than us you must be anti-semit. ( And a laughable comment about contribution to humanity ).

Every sane and objective person will try to get as much information as possible in order to draw some conclusion. If he doesn’t know the subject he’s better off being quite. Everyone who ever tried to read about our conflict will face some facts: Arabs refused to recognise Israel in 1948, started a war and were defeated. They had second and third attempts but failed to achieve the target once again. Since then their only goal is to get rid of the Jews who populates the state of Israel. They claim it on every occasion. Hamas which is ruling power in Gaza doesn’t recognise Israel’s right to exist. They say it every time they’re asked for clarification regarding their goals. Palestinian educational system incites children and teach them how to hate the Jews even more than their parents hate us. Israelis on the other hand teach their children to love and to respect others. Curious person could compare text books and newspaper’s articles. So what’s the conclusion? If after all the vast majority blames Israel and Israel only they’re either complete idiots or biased anti-Semites (it could often go together).

This player was anti-Semite (I believe he was admirer of Hitler), and he had chosen Island to live for their hate of Jews, as he said.

While Skarphédinson blows his horn, so many of us are terrified of his agenda,and he has proven his lack of understanding yet again. He pushes us into the EU, Icelanders for the most part don´t want the E.U. But before you curse us all did you know that Iceland was one of the first nations to recomend statehood for Israel. I guess most of you dont know that. But just as Israel does not reflect all of its people, neither does Iceland. In fact, judging all the peoples of Iceland is about as ignorant as judging all Jews in Israel for the anti Christian attitude and hatefull response to jews converting to Christianity. Is all of Israel to blame?

Puffin is not our national dish, fish and lamb is. Most of us hate the rotten shark, but it is a tradition for some and a reminder how we this little nation survived 1000 years of poverty, we have some of the oldest written text in the world, we are a nation of poets and writers, highest literacy rate in the world (note the world) My faith is Christian, my Lord was born by the grace of God to Miriam (Mary is a western name)he was given the name Ya-shua, he was and allway´s will be a son of the nation of Jakop (Israel). It breaks my heart to see the hate here, but it is not surprising, hate breeds hate. But I don´t hate you, I have prayed for you, I have stood upp for your right to exist as a Nation, and received hate for my effort, but I still don´t curse those that curse me. God came saw and loved. I forgive you that hate me and my nation, those of you that curse my nation I forgive. And I pray that someday Israel will find peace, but knowing the word, there is only one way that will happen. Shalom/verið blessuð same greeting different language.

To the Icelanders who support Israel - sorry about some of the ill-mannered comments here. We appreciate your support and I am sure that not all of Iceland is anti-Semitic. Come visit Israel!

We Icelandic people have endured near endless hurts and pains through history. We have been violated again and again. We have been the victims of anti-islantism for generations so we know anti-islandtists when we hear them. If you hate us Islanders so much why don´t you just use your nuclear arsenal on us and get it over with? One only has to brows through history to see that the Jewish people have always hated Islanders. In fact anti-Islantism was founded in Israel. Why do you hate us so much?