Response to interpellation 2022/23:263 on Palestine and Israel
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns Israel's policy and Palestine's rights. M considers Israel to be a living democracy 1 2 and emphasizes that the two-state solution is the only sustainable solution 2 3 4. M demands that settlement policy cease 1 2 and that Israel follows international law 1 2. S considers that Israel systematically oppresses Palestinians through apartheid and violates international law through settlements and wall construction 5 6. S criticizes the government's passivity and aid cuts 7 8 9. MP argues that the occupation is the root cause of the violence 10 11 and demands a stronger stance against Israel 10 11. V criticizes the Foreign Minister for not condemning pogroms 12 13 and demands consequences for crimes against the principles of the rule of law 14.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Speakers (24)
- Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
- Johan Büser (S)
- Peter Hultqvist (S)
- Jacob Risberg (MP)
- Azra Muranovic (S)
- Linnéa Wickman (S)
- Malcolm Momodou Jallow (V)
- Ola Möller (S)
- Håkan Svenneling (V)
- Aylin Fazelian (S)
- Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
- Johan Büser (S)
- Peter Hultqvist (S)
- Jacob Risberg (MP)
- Azra Muranovic (S)
- Linnéa Wickman (S)
- Malcolm Momodou Jallow (V)
- TREDJE VICE TALMANNEN
- Ola Möller (S)
- Håkan Svenneling (V)
- Aylin Fazelian (S)
- Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
- Johan Büser (S)
- Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Mr. Speaker! Johan Büser has asked me if I intend to take the initiative for a joint statement from the EU regarding the Israeli government's proposal to restrict the independence of the judiciary, how I view the possibility of new peace talks between Israel and Palestine, if I will take any initiatives in the EU to achieve such talks given the more confrontational policy Israel is now pursuing in the occupied territories, as well as if I intend to take any initiatives on the grounds of the increased expansion of the illegal settlements and new decisions on Israeli annexation of occupied land.
The Government notes that the Israeli government has presented a number of proposals for extensive changes to the legal system. In line with what the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell expressed in the European Parliament on 15 March 2023, we do not wish to anticipate the outcome of the debate that is ongoing regarding these proposals.
Israel is a living democracy. The EU's and Sweden's good relations with Israel are based on common values such as democracy and respect for the principles of the rule of law. We proceed from the assumption that the principles of the rule of law will continue to be respected in Israel.
The Government stands behind the EU's long-established position that settlement expansion, demolitions, and evictions must cease. Israel's settlement policy violates international law, undermines the two-state solution, and contributes to an elevated level of conflict. The EU and Sweden urge Israel to cease these types of actions. Both Israel and Palestine need to refrain from actions that further escalate the very tense situation that currently prevails. Acts of terrorism must be condemned and cease. A joint statement on March 8, 2023, with the support of all EU member states, clarified this.
The conditions for peace negotiations between the parties are currently minimal. At the same time, there is no doubt that meaningful peace negotiations must take place and that the conflict must come to an end. Such negotiations require, first and foremost, an expressed political will from the parties. The EU's High Representative is working with the Arab League and Saudi Arabia to promote peace from a regional approach, including the Arab Peace Initiative from 2002. Sweden supports the work being done by the EU's High Representative but also other initiatives that promote confidence-building measures.
Johan Büser (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the answer! There are many Members of Parliament who will participate in this interpellation debate today. It is pleasing because it is an urgent and important debate.
The situation in Israel and Palestine is, however, anything but pleasing. Extensive violations of human rights, threats of worsened laws regarding the judiciary, corruption, and a settlement policy on occupied land, without end and with deadly violence as a result, have tragically become everyday life in this region.
Mr. Speaker! In recent days, the situation in Israel has escalated. Many are the Israelis who have demonstrated powerfully in the streets and squares against the government parties' proposals. It is a government consisting of the right-wing party Likud, which has made itself dependent on the extreme right and whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to limit the power and independence of the Israeli Supreme Court. It has been about the parliament being able to place itself above the court, that the appointment of judges should become political, and that the court should be limited in its power to block government decisions and overturn new laws through reasonableness assessments.
A very large number of Israeli citizens feel that democracy in the country is now seriously threatened and fear that Israel will follow the same path as, for example, Hungary. Netanyahu's own ministers, including the defense minister, the economy minister, the culture and sports minister, and the diaspora minister, have criticized the proposal. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has even had to resign as a consequence of him criticizing Netanyahu.
Yesterday we received the news that a number of foreign diplomats on missions abroad will join the general strike in protest against the bill on the reform of the justice system. Thousands of citizens have demonstrated outside the Knesset, and streets have been blocked off. Israel's president Isaac Herzog has joined the criticism and urged Netanyahu to stop the criticized reform.
Sent yesterday afternoon we received the news that Netanyahu has decided to postpone the decision regarding the decision on the change of the judiciary, but that the change shall take place before the summer break in July.
Mr. Speaker! The international criticism has also not been long in coming. Some of the states that are usually counted among Israel's closest allies, including the USA with President Biden, have expressed great concern over the situation and voiced criticism against the plans to weaken the judiciary. Therefore, I am surprised when I can only interpret Foreign Minister Tobias Billström's response as him considering that Israel is a living democracy and therefore assuming that the principles of the rule of law will continue to be respected in Israel.
The Foreign Minister further explains that he does not want to anticipate the result of the debate currently ongoing regarding the Israeli proposals, and he refers to the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. Should I therefore assume that the Foreign Minister has no opinion on what is currently happening in Israel? Should I interpret it as that Sweden does not intend to take any initiatives within the EU circle on this issue, despite the Swedish presidency and despite Israel's significance from an EU perspective? And should I interpret it as that the Foreign Minister and the Swedish government currently have no opinion at all regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu's bill on the restriction of the judiciary?
Peter Hultqvist (S)
Mr. Speaker! I cannot, with the best of will in the world, perceive that any powerful action is being taken in relation to the Israeli settlement policy. It has not for a long time been any powerful action on that point, and it does not seem to be relevant now either. That one at various times has made some statement in some instance is not followed up in the way that could be required.
It is good that one acts powerfully and for real from the side of the EU, NATO and the Western world when it comes to Ukraine. There is a massive, justified and genuine mobilization against the Russian violations of international law and the abuses.
But what we have seen, for example in the West Bank, since 1967 when the occupation began, is a consistent expansion of illegal Israeli settlements - 700,000 people now live in these. This has been distanced from in the UN Security Council. The settlements prevent what is constantly put forward as the solution, that is, a two-state solution.
The settlements have been built with political, military and financial support from the Israeli governments. They prevent, as I said, the creation of a two-state solution, with a Palestinian state. They push the Palestinians out of the West Bank. They isolate East Jerusalem from the West Bank. They discriminate, they demolish houses, they distribute the budget unfairly between East and West Jerusalem.
The settlers have special roads where the Palestinians are not allowed to drive. You cut off different parts of the West Bank and the Palestinian areas from each other and hinder Palestinian transport in that way. You smash Palestinian infrastructure.
UN bodies, human rights organizations and state Israeli investigations have directed strong criticism towards this type of policy, which has been ongoing since 1967. Israeli settlers commit crimes and target Palestinians with persecution. The Hague Convention, the Geneva Convention and several UN resolutions are being violated. It concerns things such as the fact that it is not right to confiscate private property. It concerns the fact that one may not deport or move its own civilian population to occupied areas.
It is also about calls to Israel to dismantle existing settlements. The settlements that have been established since 1967 have been regarded as illegal. To resort to physical violence in territories such as these is impermissible, likewise as is changing physical, geographical, demographic and historical characteristics regarding the occupied land. This has been reaffirmed in several resolutions.
It is clear that this is harmful to the two-state solution that one claims to pursue in various contexts. It infringes on the Palestinians' human rights. The question then is: Does the minister drive these types of issues with any force at all? What does the minister say to Israeli representatives? Do they understand that Sweden deeply considers this to be a flawed policy? In what way does one intend to exert force within, among other things, the EU when it comes to these types of issues? It must amount to something that is significantly sharper than just resolutions.
Jacob Risberg (MP)
Mr. Speaker! First and foremost, thank you, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the answer, and thank you, Johan Büser, for your interpellation!
Today is the sixth day of the month of Ramadan, and on Sunday Pesach, the Jewish Passover, begins. People in Israel and Palestine are preparing for holidays and festive meals but also for escalated violence.
Many factors now indicate that there is an even higher risk this year that violence in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank could escalate ahead of the major holidays, which will coincide this year in the same way as they have for the past two years.
Netanyahu's far-right governing coalition is currently driving Israel through a constitutional crisis. The Israeli government's anti-democratic initiatives have their roots in the occupation of Palestine, Israel's control over and displacement of Palestinians and the constant military rule and de facto annexation of occupied land. Therefore, Johan Büsers' fourth question is particularly urgent, namely whether the Foreign Minister intends to take any initiatives in light of the increasing expansion of the illegal settlements and new decisions regarding Israeli annexation of occupied land.
We must remember that the expansion and occupation not only affect the Palestinians but also involve the destruction of infrastructure, the destruction of schools, and the destruction of buildings that are often financed by the EU and Sweden.
Israel's actions in the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem have during the recent period - one and a half years - become more frequent and aggressive. Israel has initiated and carried out what the Israelis consider to be preemptive and punitive operations. A milestone on the way was Operation Break the Wave in March 2022, which involves frequent army raids carried out in response to lone wolf attacks from Palestinians in Israel against Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank. The operation has catalyzed anger among Palestinians in the occupied areas.
In 2022, the highest Palestinian death toll on the West Bank was seen since the second intifada two decades ago, and 2023 is set to become even bloodier as Palestinian members of armed groups meet the incursions with harder resistance and are becoming increasingly focused on killing. Attacks by individual Palestinians on Israelis, which the army's raids would curb, have instead accelerated.
The ultimate responsibility for ending the conflict peacefully rests, of course, on Israel as the occupying and militarily superior party. A more active and realistic European strategy could make a difference in this situation. Sweden and the rest of the international community have a responsibility to put pressure on Israel and not turn a blind eye to the Israeli settlement policy, which, together with illegal evictions of Palestinian families, violates international humanitarian law, undermines the two-state solution, and contributes to an elevated level of conflict.
Azra Muranovic (S)
Mr. Speaker! Sweden is a friend of both Israel and Palestine, but beyond that, Sweden values human rights and international law highly. Therefore, Sweden should not accept the crimes against international law and human rights that are constantly occurring in the area. International law covers both parties, and Sweden can never accept that civilians are targets in the conflict. Just as little as we can accept Hamas's rocket fire against Israel or that human rights violations are committed on Palestinian territory, can we accept the systematic and deliberate occupation of Palestine, which involves displacement of and deadly violence against Palestinians.
It is important to remember that the Israel-Palestine conflict is not a conflict of symmetry and equality. Israel has one of the world's largest militaries and, as an occupying power, bears greater responsibility under international law. Palestine today consists of islands following the systematic occupation of the land. Already at the start of the state of Israel, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced, and since 1967, Israel has occupied the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem in violation of international law and committed crimes against human rights.
The occupation of Palestine is the longest-running conflict in the world, and several generations have been marked and shaped by it.
Mr. Speaker! Israel's violations of human rights, international law, and Palestinians are not only ongoing but also escalating. Enormous walls that have been condemned by the international community have been erected to hinder everyday life for Palestinians. The number of illegal settlements on occupied land supported by the military are growing like mushrooms. The displacement of Palestinians is increasing. 2022 was the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2014, according to the human rights organization B'Tselem.
In January, I was together with other members of the Riksdag on a study trip to Palestine and Israel which was led by Diakonia and Act Svenska Kyrkan. I believe I will never ever forget that trip. We were met by violence, despair, anger, intolerance, discrimination and marginalization. If we are not to call it apartheid, I lack words to describe the segregation that the Palestinians are subjected to. The State of Israel is squeezing the Palestinians with systematicity and determination by creating enormous social, economic and legal differences and differences in human worth between Israelis and Palestinians.
Mr. Speaker! It is time for the world to react and act to break the violence that several generations have been born into and raised in, and which has also affected their lives and which they have been affected by. The current status quo is unacceptable, and Sweden must be one of the countries that acts. As long as Israel can occupy Palestine without the rest of the world reacting decisively, international law carries less weight when other countries choose to do the same.
Therefore, I want to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs: How does the Minister for Foreign Affairs view Israel's occupation of Palestine? What measures does the Minister for Foreign Affairs intend to take to prevent yet another generation of children and young people from being born, raised, and affected by the world's longest-running conflict?
Linnéa Wickman (S)
Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank my party colleague, Member of Parliament Johan Büser, who took the initiative for this important debate on the serious situation in Israel and Palestine, and thanks to the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the response, even though I think it leaves quite a lot to be desired otherwise. It is fortunate that the debate gives the Minister the opportunity to provide a developed answer on what the government intends to do during its time as EU chair to concretely stand up for the two-state solution and respect for international law.
The year 2022 was the deadliest year on the occupied West Bank since the UN began documenting this. 150 Palestinians were killed. 33 of them were children.
Unfortunately, this year has not started better. We have seen the most right-wing government in Israel's history take office. We have been able to see the violence escalate, and at this moment, nationwide protests are ongoing against the legislation that the new government in Israel has put forward to restrict the independence of the judiciary.
Over 50 percent of the occupied West Bank consists of Israeli settlers, who now amount to over 700,000 people. This takeover of land that violates international law has occurred over a long period, step by step and systematically with the aim of stealing the land and displacing the Palestinian population.
The fact is that between 2016 and 2021, Israel demolished up to 700 buildings that Swedish tax money had been involved in financing - including some of these schools - to a value of approximately 13 million kronor. As if that were not enough, the demolitions, the pressures, the threats of demolition, and an ever-increasing settler violence continue.
Mr. Speaker! The Palestinian village of Khan al-Ahmar outside Jerusalem, which I and several other members in this debate had the opportunity to visit in January, is one of the communities that every day live with strong threats of demolition. The International Criminal Court, ICC, has come out and warned that it would be a war crime of Israel if they carry out the demolitions. According to a plan that the Israeli government has approved, 1,000 Palestinians shall be evicted in Masafer Yatta. And as recently as last Friday, Israeli authorities approved that 1,000 new homes shall be built on occupied land in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem - this despite a promise in February that they would cease with new building permits.
For every home that is demolished, for every school that is demolished, for every new settlement that violates international law, for every Palestinian family that is displaced and for every child who becomes homeless or is driven into exile, the two-state solution is shattered and practically rendered impossible. Despair and a completely lost hope for peace spread.
Therefore, it is disheartening to read and hear the Foreign Minister's answers to Johan Büsers' questions. The answers can be summarized in short: a big no. It is a no to acting actively oneself and taking any new initiatives within the EU as the EU chair to condemn the developments in Israel, condemn the destruction of Swedish humanitarian aid and other countries' humanitarian aid, and in practice stand up for the two-state solution, international law, and human rights.
Malcolm Momodou Jallow (V)
Mr. Speaker! We are in a war in Europe today, as Russia has brutally and illegally attacked Ukraine's territorial integrity. Sweden and the world have rightly condemned Russia's actions. Today we all stand up for Ukraine's independence and right to defend itself.
People's right to live in peace and security is unconditional. And every country's ability to govern its own future must be defended, and that is what we do in Europe today. This is seen as a self-evident truth by very many.
Why do these rights not apply to the Palestinian people? Today, Amnesty wrote that the Western world's support for human rights is selective and based on its own interests. I completely agree.
Palestine has been occupied for over 70 years by the occupying power and the apartheid state Israel. It is settlements, demolition of Palestinian homes, forced displacements, evictions, segregation and racism. And it is getting worse and worse. No sanctions are imposed against Israel. And no support is given to the Palestinian people so that they can exercise the right to defend themselves against an occupying power. It is a given when it comes to Ukraine. Why do we have these double standards?
The type of brutality, attacks and oppression that the Israeli government and the occupying power subject the Palestinian people to is unparalleled and is of a form that has rarely been seen anywhere else.
Mr. Speaker! Israel kills children. Israel burns down people's homes. Israel steals people's property and continues to build illegal settlements. Sweden and the EU defend this by expanding cooperation with the Israeli apartheid state and by actively reducing aid to the Palestinian people.
Palestinian children live today below the poverty line without sufficient and safe access to humanitarian aid. This concerns medical equipment, medicine, food, water and electricity.
On February 26, 2023, the world witnessed the latest in a series of pogroms against the Palestinian people in the Palestinian town of Huwara in the northern West Bank. People were killed without regard. Israeli settlers attacked and assaulted the Palestinians. They fired live ammunition. Half of the town was set on fire. Cars, businesses, people's homes and private property were burned to the ground.
Mr. Speaker! The attacks escalated into something described as one of the worst outbreaks of violence in decades. Even the state television, which the government has plans to shut down, and a high-ranking Israeli military official designated the settler attack against the Palestinians in Huwara as a pogrom. Pogrom is a term that implies a violent and bloody persecution of a group of people and which brings to mind the persecution of Jews in Europe. These are not my words. They are words that come from the Israelis themselves.
At the same time, the far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich appeared in Israeli media and said that he thinks the village of Huwara must be wiped out by the state of Israel.
I have not heard a condemnation from Tobias Billström or Ulf Kristersson. Foreign Minister Tobias Billström gets the chance today. Can the Foreign Minister here and now condemn the settlers' attacks and pogrom against Palestine and Huwara, as well as the Finance Minister's statement about wiping out an entire city, which in other words would be a genocide against the Palestinian people? Anything else would be interpreted as the Foreign Minister defending genocide against the Palestinians.
Ola Möller (S)
Mr. Speaker! I have many wise friends in this chamber who have said very good things. It is difficult to come late to the debate and contribute something new. But there is a perspective that I think is missing in this debate. We talk very much about what we are going to do against the Israelis and how we are going to handle them, but I also think we should talk about what we do against the Palestinians, who are the people who are actually under occupation.
The government acts with clarity by cutting back on the support to Palestine. It halves the core support to the UN and to the Palestinian Authority. This means that more children will die because Sweden actively makes that choice. One can say to the occupied Palestinian people: You shall be punished. But to say that Israel is doing wrong, the Swedish government does not dare if the EU does not do it. Then one begins to wonder what the government's intention actually is. What is the will?
Palestinian children are dying because Swedish aid money that saves lives is being withdrawn, but one is not prepared to act economically against Israel in any way. I think it is shameful, to use a word that I would have used on the schoolyard. I would perhaps even want to use stronger words.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs says they stand behind the EU's statements, including those regarding crimes against international law being committed.
I would like the Minister for Foreign Affairs to answer straight out. Does the Minister for Foreign Affairs consider that Israel is violating international law, yes or no? I have many questions, but this is a simple question that I must have an answer to. Yes or no?
If the answer is no, one can wonder what view the government has on law in international contexts. If the answer is yes, Member Malcolm Momodou Jallows' questions are fully relevant. Why do we not act with some form of economic means and sanctions against a state that violates international law? That must be the conclusion. When other countries do it – North Korea, Iran, Russia – we act very powerfully. There we push forward. There we are fast. It is not the case that the Foreign Minister stands and waits for what the EU will say when one is to comment on what Russia is doing in Ukraine. With all rights, of course – that is how Sweden as a democratic state should act. But the Foreign Minister obviously does not dare to take a stand, or even worse, he does not want to take a stand, for the occupied people in Palestine.
One can sense the intention. The Foreign Minister has indeed pondered whether Palestine should even be a state and has been quite wavering on that. The Foreign Minister perhaps shares the Israeli Finance Minister's view that Palestine should not be allowed to exist. Turn that argument around and think about what words would have been said if it had been said that it was Israel that should not be allowed to exist! Then it would have taken houses in hell!
We stand up for both parties' right to exist, and I think the Foreign Minister can answer whether he thinks that Israel violates international law.
Håkan Svenneling (V)
Mr. Speaker! Many thanks to the colleagues who have submitted the interpellation and also to those who have given important speeches so far!
This is rooted in the far-right government that currently holds power in Israel. There sit extreme parties with representatives like Smotrich and Ben-Gvir and a leader, a prime minister, Netanyahu, who should be able to be prosecuted for his crimes. He has, however, for a long time fought politically to block these three indictments concerning corruption. We must keep that clear in our minds.
Israel's parliament, the Knesset, probably shows why a country should have a barrier, a threshold, to enter parliament. It is very obvious that small far-right parties have very great power and great influence over Israeli politics right now. Also in the cocktail is the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu has held power in Israel for a very long time. For 20-30 years we can count on him having had enormous influence over Israeli politics.
At the root, however, is Israel's occupation of Palestine and its consequences that we see now. It is the extreme settlers' interest in getting their will through that has created the situation we have today, and it is clear both in Israel and in Palestine.
Now the Israeli people have awakened, and I believe it is important to say that in such a situation we truly see where the dividing line is drawn between our criticism of the State of Israel and the Israeli people, the Israelis. The Israelis are not satisfied with the State of Israel's policy and its settler violence.
It is obvious that the risk of settler violence is now high. We already see clear signs of how settler violence has increased in the West Bank and how the new Israeli government is trying to legitimize and, in principle, legalize this settler violence which has been escalating more and more for a long time. Palestinian children, women, and farmers risk being assaulted or even killed by Israeli settlers who will never be prosecuted or brought to justice. The legal system makes a distinction between Israelis and Palestinians and actually constitutes a basis for a discussion about an apartheid system. This risk of settler violence also extends into Israel when the settlers are now calling for counter-demonstrations and counter-attacks against the Israelis who are defending their democracy.
Now the rest of the world must react. We are at a point where we must react. We must react against the occupation, against the division between Israelis and Palestinians. Here, Sweden, as the chair of the EU, has an excellent opportunity to take command and lead the way.
The EU has a trade agreement with Israel that makes it incredibly favorable for Israeli companies to trade with the EU, and these trade agreements contribute to the fact that the occupation can continue. Palestinian companies and businesses do not have the same opportunities at all to build a strong economy, and that makes it so that we here have one of the world's most unequal areas. Israel has a very strong economy, the West Bank has a significantly weaker economy, and in Gaza it is practically a daily struggle to survive.
To this should be added our government's lack of support for Palestine and the cut in aid. I hope that we receive clearer answers from our Foreign Minister.
Aylin Fazelian (S)
Mr. Speaker! I was also part of a delegation from the Swedish Riksdag that recently visited Israel and Palestine. It is a well-known fact that Israel violates international law when it comes to the annexation of occupied land and that people are forcibly displaced from their homes.
The Foreign Minister already knows this. It has also been pointed out with all clarity here in the debate, so let me instead tell you about some of my experiences on the ground.
On my first day, I witnessed how a child was brutally struck down by Israeli police in central Jerusalem. About ten heavily armed men attacked a small, unarmed boy.
One of my strongest impressions was from Hebron, the West Bank's second-largest city. Although Hebron is located in Palestine, the city is largely controlled by the Israeli military. On Hebron's main street, Palestinians are forbidden to walk, and because Palestinians are not allowed to be on the streets, the families who live there are forced to use back doors and basement entrances to get to their homes.
In central Hebron, there is also a place of honor at the grave of Baruch Goldstein, the man who murdered 29 Palestinians in a massacre. Daily, Jewish settlers and right-wing extremists go there to honor his memory.
Furthermore, once upon a time, Israel's new Minister for National Security, Ben-Gvir, had Goldstein's portrait hanging in his living room. He is thus a minister in the same government that now wants to introduce far-reaching dismantling of the principles of the rule of law.
Mr. Speaker! I met families with children of my own daughter's age who looked out over what just a few days ago was their home and which is now leveled to the ground.
We were supposed to visit a refugee camp, but just before we arrived there, a father was shot to death. Why? Because he defended and protected his son.
At one of the countless checkpoints, that is, control stations that Israel's government has set up to restrict Palestinians' movements, we were also stopped with the question of whether there were any Muslims on the bus. We answered that we were a delegation visiting from the Swedish Riksdag. The police boarded anyway to check our passports and then discovered that we had a Palestinian woman with us, our local guide. She was pulled out of the bus and made to sit in a police interrogation, all to be humiliated, all so that it should be marked which different rights applied. The rest of us were made to stay in the bus.
What I expect from the Swedish Foreign Minister is to have the strength to stand up for international law. My question, like the one that my colleagues have also so clearly raised, is very simple. Can the Foreign Minister condemn Israel's illegal occupation, including the fact that Palestinians are daily forcibly displaced, discriminated against, persecuted, and subjected to excessive violence?
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Mr. Speaker! When it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the EU and Sweden are clear about the importance of a negotiated two-state solution with Jerusalem as the capital for both states. That view is put forward constantly and consistently.
The settlement policy undermines the two-state solution and contributes to an elevated level of conflict. Sweden calls on Israel to cease these types of measures and live up to its obligations under international law as an occupying power. Sweden, the EU, and the UN will continue to remind Israel of these obligations as long as the occupation continues. Likewise, criticism will continue to be voiced when violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights, are committed by any party in the conflict.
The recent terrorist acts, violence, and civilian casualties, not least children, which several of today's debaters have raised, are appalling. It shows once again the importance of addressing the root causes of the conflict. Both Israel and Palestine need to refrain from actions that further escalate the very tense situation that is currently unfolding.
We welcome the commitments that the parties have undertaken at the meetings in Aqaba on 26 February and in Sharm el-Sheikh on 19 March regarding, among other things, de-escalation as well as a halt to new settlement plans for half a year. It was therefore very concerning that the Knesset already on 21 March made decisions that enable the re-establishment of a number of settlements in the northern West Bank that were abandoned in 2005.
Sweden welcomes the continued commitments made in Aqaba and in Sharm el-Sheikh to respect the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem. That these commitments are now respected and implemented is crucial to avoid escalation in the short term, not least during the ongoing religious holidays, and in the longer term to enable development in the right direction.
Sweden stands up for Israel's legitimate security needs and condemns terrorist attacks. These, including rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza against civilians in Israel, must cease once and for all. Israel has the right to defend itself, but it must be done with proportionality and in accordance with the other principles of international law.
Let me, Mr. Speaker, conclude this contribution by stating once again that Israel is a living democracy. We safeguard the good and broad relationship that Sweden has with the country. As I mentioned, the government notes that the Israeli government has presented a number of proposals for extensive changes to the judicial system, as well as the lively domestic political debate and the protests ongoing in Israel against the proposals. Just as the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy has expressed, we do not want to anticipate the outcome of the debate currently taking place regarding these proposals. The EU's and Sweden's good relations with Israel are based on shared values regarding democracy and respect for the principles of the rule of law, and we proceed from the assumption that the principles of the rule of law will also continue to be respected in Israel.
Johan Büser (S)
Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the answer. I note, however, that there is not a single word of criticism from the Minister for Foreign Affairs regarding what is nevertheless occurring in Israel with the far-reaching changes that have almost created a revolution in the country. Even the diplomatic corps in Israel is distancing itself, parts of the government are distancing themselves, ministers are resigning, and one of Israel's closest allies, the USA, is also clear in its criticism and warns against the changes in the judiciary. It is therefore regrettable that Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs only follows what the EU says and does not want to anticipate anything or even leave a comment when one is prepared to change the legal system so drastically.
Mr. Speaker! I want to return to what several of my colleagues raised in the first round of debate, and which is touched upon in some of my interpellations, namely Israel as an occupying power.
Israel is an occupying power that, in violation of international law, aggressively continues with its settlements. We have spoken a lot about this today. Palestinians are evicted from their homes, receive nightly visits from soldiers, and are not allowed to move freely in their immediate area. The new government, with the support of the far-right, has stated that Israeli sovereignty shall apply to the entire West Bank, which de facto means a full-scale annexation. Israeli security forces who commit acts of violence are to be given further immunity, and in light of the expansion of the illegal settlements and new decisions on Israeli annexation of occupied power, the Israeli government clearly perceives that it can continue, even though in both cases it concerns actions that violate international law. The settlements constitute a clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and are also a war crime according to the International Criminal Court, ICC. Report after report also shows a cooperation between soldiers and extremists.
Even though the Foreign Minister here says that the settlements are condemned and that this issue is viewed seriously, there are no real reactions from the rest of the world in the sense that there will be any tangible consequences. I also noted that the Foreign Minister in his answer said that he shared my concern that Israel is violating international law and that he considers the settlers to be undermining the possibilities for a two-state solution, which the minister says he wants to work for. I also note that the Foreign Minister considers the conditions for peace negotiations between the parties in the current situation to be small and again refers to the EU.
I still lack answers to my questions about the Foreign Minister and Sweden on its own intending to take any single initiative in the matter. Wouldn't it be an excellent opportunity, Mr. Speaker, if Sweden, during the current Swedish EU Presidency, also showed leadership in this matter? An EU Presidency cannot only be about listening to what others do or supporting others' initiatives. No! Here Sweden has the opportunity to make a difference, that is to say, take initiative with other EU countries, set requirements that international law is respected by all parties and that Israel, in its capacity as an occupying power, is held accountable for its obligations under international humanitarian law. There must also be tangible consequences when international law is not respected.
Therefore, I want to ask again, which also is in line with my interpellation, whether the Minister for Foreign Affairs is prepared to take initiative within the EU circles due to the increased expansion of the illegal settlements. Will the Minister for Foreign Affairs take any initiatives within the EU circles to bring about new urgent peace talks?
Peter Hultqvist (S)
Mr. Speaker! In addition to everything that has been reported regarding the settlement policy, Israel is building a 70-mile long wall between the Palestinian territories and Israel. It is being built 85 percent on Palestinian territory and up to 18 kilometers from the West Bank's recognized border. Palestinian land has been confiscated, and no compensation has been paid in connection with this. It is therefore a matter of forced confiscation, and it is also a violation of international law and justice.
How does this align with the principles of the rule of law? Furthermore, the wall becomes yet another obstacle for the Palestinians in their daily lives. Many must pass through a checkpoint every morning and evening to get from home to work. I have personally been at the wall, have gone through a checkpoint, and spoken with Palestinians. It feels like discrimination and obstructive measures in their daily lives.
I mentioned earlier that one is not allowed to move one's own civilian population to occupied territory, which is what is done when the settlements are built.
I also mentioned that settlements established since 1967 are to be considered illegal according to the UN, that one may not change physical, geographical, demographic or historical characteristics on occupied land and so on. How does it square with the principles of the rule of law that one consistently acts in this way?
Then it becomes a sort of an illusion when one discusses the two-state solution, because it is being destroyed and undermined by Israel all the time.
Sweden has a unique opportunity now as EU chair to lead the way in this issue, to pull itself together, to be clear in its language, and to try to get something done.
Jacob Risberg (MP)
Mr. Speaker! I miss the initiative of the Swedish government, and I miss the proactivity of the Foreign Minister.
Relying solely on agreements that the parties themselves have entered into is not enough. It is a method that the EU and Sweden have leaned on over the past decades, and it is no longer sufficient.
The occupation of Palestine and the discrimination of Palestinians that prevails is the root cause of the violence that feeds the extremists on both sides of the conflict. It is civilians in Palestine and Israel who pay the price with their lives for a cynical power game.
Recent statements from far-right representatives of Netanyahu's coalition government lead to an escalated atmosphere, and the Swedish government and the EU need to take a harder stand against Israel to de-escalate the situation. Both Israelis and Palestinians have a right to freedom, development, and security within secure and recognized borders, and the conversation about the path there needs to contribute to a peaceful solution.
Miljöpartiet supports Palestine's right to exist and the two-state solution according to the 1967 borders. Israel must respect international law and seriously attempt to find ways forward for a two-state solution instead of continuing to expand its settlements on Palestinian land.
I would like to conclude by once again thanking Johan Büser for that the question is raised here today. I look forward to a clear answer from the Minister for Foreign Affairs regarding what new initiatives the government and Sweden as the EU chair intend to take in response to the rapidly increasing expansion of settlements and the increasing violence.
Azra Muranovic (S)
Madam Speaker! I think the Minister for Foreign Affairs is brave to call Israel a democracy and to hope and assume that it is also a state that follows the principles of the rule of law when it is obvious in many contexts that it does not. I think that is very brave.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs mentioned that one must address the root causes of the conflict. Then I wonder how. What concrete steps is the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the country Sweden prepared to take to actually approach a resolution of these? The status quo is not respected in the holy city. International law is obviously not respected, and human rights are obviously not respected. And how do you follow up from Sweden's side when this respect is violated? How do you act?
Breaking the Silence is an organization of former soldiers, who testify that they were not told by their commanders to use proportionality in their mission. They also say that there is no such thing as an innocent Palestinian. There are active terrorists, and there are inactive terrorists. That is how they view everyone, from an infant to an elderly person.
Leadership and decisiveness are required to stand up for what is right and proper. I wonder what concrete measures the Foreign Minister can imagine taking instead of just having an opinion.
Linnéa Wickman (S)
Madam Speaker! In December, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Israel and Palestine. In it, clear support is given for international law and the two-state solution, and Israel is urged to cease the destruction of Palestinian homes.
The European Parliament also supports the repeated request from the Council of Ministers that Israel should compensate the EU's countries for destroyed aid projects on occupied territory. As I mentioned earlier, for Sweden's part, it concerns amounts in the millions.
Alarmingly, the Foreign Minister's three Swedish party colleagues in Parliament voted for an amendment submitted by the Sverigedemokraterna to remove the requirements on Israel in the resolution to replace the EU for destroyed buildings and infrastructure. The amendment fortunately did not pass, but this naturally raises strong doubts about the Moderaternas actual stance on international law in Israel and Palestine.
Does the Foreign Minister share his party colleagues' view that the language and the requirements from the EU's side should be eased towards Israel when it comes to the demolition of schools and Palestinian homes on occupied land? Or does the government instead stand behind the EU's line that Israel should pay compensation for the humanitarian projects that have been destroyed to the EU's countries, including Sweden?
Given that the Moderaterna and Sverigedemokraterna are also cutting aid to Palestine by 65 percent, which is a death blow to Palestine's civil society where people work for democracy and human rights and to strengthen the living conditions for children and women, it is sad to see a strikingly silent and passive Sweden under this government. This in a time when friends of the two-state solution, friends of both Israel and Palestine, were needed most of all.
Malcolm Momodou Jallow (V)
Madam Speaker! Israel is a living democracy, says the Minister for Foreign Affairs. A state that attacks and occupies, that does not listen to the rest of the world, that does not listen to the UN's resolutions, that does not listen to criticism at all, that has pogroms where entire cities are burned down – the Minister for Foreign Affairs calls that a democracy.
We all remember what the Moderates' position was when there was apartheid in South Africa and what stance was taken. One stood with the oppressor in South Africa. Now one is doing the same thing again. We have a Moderate government with a Foreign Minister who continues to say that one proceeds from the assumption that Israel respects the principles of the rule of law.
How many more times must Israel violate the principles of the rule of law before it is understood? Before one says "No, enough is enough! Now it must be enough!" and acts?
Think if we had said the same thing about Russia! "We assume that Russia will continue to respect the principles of the rule of law and that Russia is a living democracy." No one would accept that! Why is it acceptable when it concerns Israel? They have done this for over 70 years and continue to do so. It is not acceptable. We must take a stand. To continue to refuse to defend and respect the human rights of the Palestinian people is to deny their humanity.
It is said that crises do not create but reveal a society's strengths and weaknesses, and the war in Ukraine has revealed Sweden's and the Western world's hypocrisy and double standards.
The Foreign Minister refused to answer my question. I note that. I repeat it. Finance Minister Smotrich said in Israel's media that he thinks the village of Huwara must be wiped out by the state of Israel. Do you agree, or do you distance yourself from that?
TREDJE VICE TALMANNEN
I remind you that we do not speak in the informal "du" form but via the Speaker.
Ola Möller (S)
Madam Speaker! I unfortunately cannot thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the answer. I wish I could have done so.
Yes or no, does Israel violate international law? I don't understand why it is so difficult. At some point, even as a conservative politician, one must feel it in one's gut when the limit is reached.
Sweden has already crossed a line because we now cast our vote in the UN when it is voted on Israel and Palestine. We take a step back. We are clear that we do not like the Palestinians, for them we give less in aid. But there is an ambiguity in what the government, and thus we as a country, think about the current situation.
I agree with the Foreign Minister that Israel is a democracy. The demonstrations and such that are happening now show that Israel, unlike many other countries in the region, is a real democracy.
But that is not what this is about. One must be able to think two thoughts at once. It is shameful that the Minister for Foreign Affairs cannot answer a simple yes or no to Malcolm Jallow's question. We have an Israeli minister who says that one party shall be annihilated, and we have a Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs who has expressed doubts about Palestine's right to exist. He could have cleared up all doubts by saying: Yes, Israel violates international law. Yes, I as Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs condemn those who want to annihilate other states.
Håkan Svenneling (V)
Madam Speaker! It is good that we hear a certain increased clarity from our Foreign Minister, but the question is when there will be consequences for Israel and not just a lot of press releases from Sweden and the EU regarding Israel's crimes.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs says that he assumes that the principles of the rule of law shall apply in Israel, but the problem is that they do not apply today, neither when it concerns the areas Israel occupies in Palestine nor in Israel itself.
In Palestine, different laws apply depending on where one lives. There is impunity for the soldiers who commit abuses. People are arrested, even children, and homes are demolished. Here there is the wall, the settlers, and settler violence.
But even in Israel, what we call a democracy, the Arab minority is discriminated against daily. Since the state owns all territory, it is completely impossible for Palestinians to obtain building permits while Israelis can quite easily get new homes, and as soon as one enters a Palestinian area, asphalt and maintenance on the roads cease.
What is needed is consequence. We are in a situation where Sweden and the EU could have a positive impact on the government with far-right parties and the omnipotent Netanyahu through clear consequences. I want a Foreign Minister who sees these violations of the principles of the rule of law, does not gloss over them, and is clear that there will be consequences if Israel, as it is now doing, puts forward proposals that undermine the rule of law and the principles of the rule of law.
Now we have the chance to make an impact. The Israeli people have risen up and said that they want democracy and the principles of the rule of law. Let us support this struggle, not the Israeli government.
Aylin Fazelian (S)
Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the answers.
During my visit to Israel and Palestine, I also met one of Prime Minister Netanyahu's leading advisors. He represents the right-wing party Likud, which, moreover, is the Moderates' sister party. He, along with several others, was also present in Sweden to help the Moderates during the 2022 election campaign.
During our conversation, I asked a number of questions. I took off from what Prime Minister Netanyahu has declared: that his government's main line is that the Jewish people shall have exclusive rights to what today is Israel and Palestine and that this government shall promote and develop settlements in all areas. I then asked where it is intended that the Palestinians should go. The answer I received was: What do I know? Ask them!
I subsequently asked if he considers the violence that Palestinians are subjected to to be proportionate, and I exemplified with what I had seen myself, namely how ten heavily armed men attacked a small boy, a child. The answer I received was: No, the violence is not proportionate, because it is not sufficient.
I request an answer from the Minister for Foreign Affairs on how he views this as a representative for Israel's government clearly says and if he will act for the Palestinians' right to exist. Will he do what so many Palestinians plead with us to do, to stop being silent?
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! Let me say this: In the short term, it is central that the parties in this conflict refrain from any actions that could further escalate the tense situation. The negative development needs to be reversed, and for that to happen, commitment is required from the international community, not least through the USA, the countries in the region, the EU and the UN.
In the longer term, resumed peace negotiations between the parties are crucial for a sustainable solution to this conflict. The EU and the international community are convinced that it is only through a negotiated two-state solution with firm anchoring in international law that Israel and Palestine will be able to live side by side in peace and security.
A basic prerequisite for being able to realize this goal is, of course, that the parties have the political will to sit down at a negotiating table and, in addition, have the ability and readiness to make the necessary and difficult compromises that peace requires.
It is unfortunately clear – I would even go so far as to say it is indisputable – that this is not the case today. Israel's current governing coalition does not have a two-state solution in sight. Its political platform expresses a different agenda. The government program contains, for example, a passage asserting the Jewish people's exclusive and indisputable right to the entire land of Israel and defines this as also encompassing the occupied West Bank. Annexation is also spoken of as a possibility.
Madam Speaker! I deplore this direction which stands in conflict with international law and the two-state solution that Sweden and the EU believe in.
The Palestinian government has indeed declared that they strive for negotiations on a two-state solution and that these shall be initiated as soon as possible. At the same time, Palestine has not held national elections since 2006, and the Palestinian split between the West Bank, which is governed by the Palestinian Authority, and Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, persists. This lack of both democratic legitimacy and national unity constitutes a significant obstacle for Palestine to be able to negotiate and enter into a peace agreement.
Sweden and the EU consistently and with great clarity emphasize the importance of Palestine holding national elections and achieving an intra-Palestinian reconciliation. We likewise consider that Israel is obligated to contribute to ensuring that Palestinian elections can be held in East Jerusalem in accordance with the Oslo Accords. Sweden and the EU therefore call on all Palestinian groups to adhere to the agreements concluded with Israel on the Palestinian side, to take a clear stand against violence and terrorism, to recognize Israel's right to exist, and to comply with democratic and rule-of-law principles.
We naturally hope that on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides, it will be realized that the current development is unsustainable and that the parties therefore initiate a peace process to reach a negotiated two-state solution that satisfies both Israel's and Palestine's interests.
Madam Speaker! I wish it were possible to resume the peace process in the near future, but as said, the prospects for this are unfortunately judged to be bleak. But it is nonetheless important that the international community continues to work to create the conditions for this to be able to happen in the long run.
Johan Büser (S)
Madam Speaker! The debate is drawing to a close. I think today's debate has shown with all clarity the enormous frustration that many of us members feel, and I agree with very much of what many of us have conveyed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
I naturally welcome that the Minister for Foreign Affairs expresses concern about the settlement policy in his speech and that he also says he upholds a two-state solution where human rights shall prevail. But as I have pointed out previously, I have also wished that the Swedish government could have some kind of opinion on what is now happening in Israel with extensive restrictions of the judiciary – we usually say that we should call a spade a spade.
Furthermore, it would also be good if Sweden, in its role as the EU presiding country, could show clearer leadership and at least express some kind of initiative for peace and not just follow what others say or do. It is also important, as has emerged in today's debate, that every state that clearly violates international law is not only criticized in words but also in action, and that it entails tangible consequences for every state that conducts any form of illegal occupation.
I would also like, against the background of the situation regarding human rights in Palestine, that our Swedish government should reconsider its substantial reductions of the Swedish aid there; it is nearly a halving compared to how it was with the previous Social Democratic government. The reductions will have major consequences for the local civil society that works to improve people's living conditions.
I would finally like to thank you for your participation today in this interpellation debate, where the interpellation has been submitted by me. We naturally have reason to return to continued discussions on this issue given the very serious situation that currently prevails in Israel and Palestine.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you to the interpellator and all members who have participated in the debate here today. It has been a good debate on an important issue.
There is no doubt that meaningful peace negotiations must take place sooner or later and that this conflict must come to an end. For such negotiations to be meaningful and be able to commence, it is required that the parties are willing and ready to negotiate in good faith, which unfortunately is not the case today.
Parallel to the necessary crisis management that is now taking place, including through the meetings in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh that I mentioned earlier, it is important to continue the long-term work for peace. And the initiative that the EU's High Representative Josep Borrell has taken together with the Arab League and Saudi Arabia deserves to be noted. It is about investigating how the EU and the countries in the region, based on the Arab peace initiative from 2002, could support an overall peace agreement. By trying to concretize such a joint contribution to peace, the hope is that, in the long run, the conditions will be strengthened for the parties to return to the negotiating table.
As is known, direct peace negotiations have not taken place for nearly ten years. A long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be found in a negotiated two-state solution with firm anchoring in international law, where Israel and Palestine can exist in peace and security side by side and with Jerusalem as the capital for both states.
Madam Speaker! In order to build a sustainable and just peace between Israel and Palestine, the needs, rights, and security of both parties must be taken into account. Sweden will continue to support the EU's and High Representative Borrell's work and commitment to contribute to making this a reality one day.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.