A Swedish national who planned to burn the Hebrew Bible in front of the Israeli embassy in Stockholm said he was not going to go ahead with his controversial protest. 

Ahmed Alloush stated that his intention was in fact to denounce those who burn sacred books such as the Quran in the Nordic country.

Swedish police on Friday said they had granted a permit for a protest which was to include a burning of the Torah and the Bible outside the Israeli embassy in Stockholm.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog was one of several Israeli representatives and Jewish organizations to immediately condemn the decision.

Alloush, the organizer of the demonstration, explained that his aim actually was not to burn the holy books but to criticize the people who have burnt Qurans in Sweden in recent months, something that Swedish law does not prohibit. Swedish police approved Alloush’s request "so that the applicant can express his opinions," a move that was condemned by Israeli leaders, senior officials in Israel, and rabbis. Alloush arrived with a bag containing a Quran and a lighter, but didn’t burn any books during the gathering.