Shoe-throwing appears to have become the latest fad among protesters, with the Israeli envoy to Sweden adding his name to the club of victims after ex-US President George W Bush and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
Israeli Ambassador Benny Dagan was delivering a lecture at the University of Stockholm on Wednesday on the Jewish state's recent military offensive in Gaza, 'Operation Cast Lead', when a 35-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman threw a shoe and a book at him, the media in Jerusalem reported on Thursday.
Both persons -- who were apparently angry over the Israeli military offensive in Gaza that left nearly 1,300 Palestinians dead -- were apprehended by local police.
"The incident is an expression of the atmosphere created by extreme elements and some of the media in Sweden, which are finding fertile soil for their baseless accusations against Israel to take root," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
On Monday, a protester threw a shoe at Chinese Premier Wen, interrupting his speech at the Cambridge University during his visit to London, which was marred by pro-Tibetan protests.
The act of shoe-throwing as a mark of protest was first witnessed in Iraq in December last year when Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi threw his shoes at former US President Bush.
