Stockholm, Feb 5 (DPA) Israel’s ambassador to Sweden was hit when a shoe and books were thrown at him as he was giving a lecture at Stockholm University, radio reports said Thursday.Benny Dagan was talking about upcoming elections in his country Wednesday night when the objects were hurled at him from the audience of 50 people. Police at the event took two people into custody.

The motive was believed to be a protest against Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians.

A tossed shoe is considered a grave insult in the Arab world, and the incident involving Dagan followed another in December in which an Iraqi journalist threw shoes at US president George W. Bush. The incident occurred at a press conference during Bush’s farewell visit to Iraq before he left office last month. Bush ducked and was not hit.

A protestor shouting “Dictator” also tossed a shoe Monday at Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao while he was visiting Cambridge University in Britain. The shoe missed the premier.