Response to interpellation 2024/25:738 on Sweden's increased trade with Israel and the need for accountability in public procurement
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns Sweden's increased trade with Israel and the need for accountability in public procurement. M argues that the government is doing a lot by doubling the aid to Gaza, pushing for EU sanctions against extremist ministers and settlers, and pressing to suspend the trade part of the EU's association agreement with Israel 1 2 3. M emphasizes that companies must follow current laws and international guidelines 4 2. V argues that the government is not doing enough and that the increase in trade is hypocritical 5 6. V demands binding rules instead of expectations, political steering of the procurement system, and that all trade with Israel be stopped 5 6 7.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)
Madam Speaker! Lorena Delgado Varas has asked me three questions. The first is what measures I intend to take within my area of responsibility to ensure that Swedish trade with Israel does not contribute to genocide and violations of international law or hinder humanitarian work. The second is whether I intend to introduce or propose stricter requirements for Swedish companies to report links to actors involved in human rights violations, particularly in connection with Israel's suspected genocide and occupation of Palestine. The third is how I view the possibility of using the Swedish procurement system as a tool to demand that suppliers do not have links to companies operating in illegal settlements or in violation of international law, and whether I intend to take initiatives for such changes within my area of responsibility.
Madam Speaker! The situation for civilians in Gaza is appalling. We in Sweden and the EU must do everything we can to further increase the pressure on Israel's government and Hamas. Immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza must be ensured in accordance with Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law. Humanitarian aid on a large scale must be able to reach people in a safe manner. Hamas bears a very heavy responsibility for the situation in Gaza. While Sweden and the EU must continue to put pressure on the Israeli government to let in humanitarian aid in Gaza, the pressure on Hamas must also increase, which the government repeatedly highlights within the EU.
Therefore, economic pressure on Israel must increase. The government therefore wants the EU to introduce trade measures against Israel as soon as possible, such as suspending the trade part of the EU's association agreement with Israel. The government is pushing to also introduce EU sanctions against the extremist Israeli ministers who are pushing for an illegal settlement policy and actively counter a future two-state solution. Sweden continues to act for decisions on further EU sanctions against extremist settlers who commit acts of violence against civilians. The European Commission has submitted proposals to terminate parts of the research cooperation with Israel, but more needs to be done and the Commission must submit further proposals for measures.
Financial transactions, investments, purchases, procurements and other economic activities – including within tourism and other services – in Israeli settlements or that benefit Israeli settlements are associated with legal and economic risks because the Israeli settlements, according to international law, are established on occupied land and are not recognized as a legitimate part of Israel's territory.
The government is actively working to promote responsible business globally and has a clear expectation for Swedish companies to act sustainably and responsibly by working for human rights, equality, good working conditions, the environment, and anti-corruption where they operate. Sweden and the EU want to increase European citizens' and companies' awareness of the risks associated with economic and financial activities that may have links to settlements. Companies shall comply with prevailing laws and observe the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This implies requirements for risk analysis and measures to ensure that companies do not contribute to abuses or violations of human rights.
Regarding procurement, the National Agency for Public Procurement provides support in the form of proposals for contract terms for sustainable supply chains. The terms cover the areas of human rights, workers' rights, environmental protection, and anti-corruption.
Lorena Delgado Varas (V)
Madam Speaker! The Minister speaks of the situation being appalling, and we can probably all agree on that. I would like to say that it is apocalyptic. I must say that it is not enough to state the obvious. A responsible government acts, and we have hardly seen that during these two years since the genocide started.
The UN's humanitarian office and WHO have established that the Israel-created famine has now reached catastrophic levels. The International Court of Justice has furthermore clarified that the Palestinians' right to protection against genocide is threatened by Israel's actions. It is therefore not a conflict between two parties. It is a crime against international law of the utmost seriousness, a genocide.
Simultaneously – and this is the core of my interpellation – Sweden's trade with Israel is increasing. According to Dagens Nyheter, imports have increased by nearly 50 percent in one year.
When we here in the Riksdag say that we want to increase the pressure on Israel, it becomes double standards if we in practice do more business than before. We cannot demand sanctions in Brussels and at the same time increase imports in Stockholm or simultaneously have agreements with Israeli companies, such as Elbit Systems.
What is the government doing at home? Well, they refer to expectations on companies – expectations. But we know that the UN's guiding principles and the OECD's guidelines require more than expectations. They require active governance, due diligence, and sanctions against companies that do not live up to their responsibility.
The EU's new directive makes this binding for large companies throughout the union. To merely rely on voluntariness is, in practice, to choose self-regulation, and self-regulation does not stop a genocide. It does not stop trade that feeds a genocide.
Madam Speaker! There are tools. We have a procurement system that, according to LOU, actually allows for social and ethical requirements. The National Agency for Public Procurement has ready-made criteria, but they are used too little, too rarely. And they have no clear government directives.
The tools are there, but the government lets them lie in the box. I mean that it is time for the government to take them out. It is time for the government to get to work. It is time to decide that the toolbox shall be used in all state procurements.
I wonder: Why does the government speak of stricter measures at the EU level but does so little in Sweden? Why are the requirements not raised for the Swedish companies here at home when we know that trade is increasing and when we know that those funds go directly to the ongoing genocide? How can one let profitability stand above human lives?
Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)
Madam Speaker! I turn against the entire description that the Swedish government would do nothing. On the contrary, we do more than the vast majority of other EU countries.
We have doubled our aid to Gaza, from 400 million kronor to 800 million kronor. We are pushing for this here in the UN and in all our bilateral contexts that we have with official Israeli representatives. We have long pushed for sanctions against violent and extreme settlers in the West Bank. We are one of the few EU countries pushing for sanctions against extreme ministers in the Israeli government. We are also pushing for the trade part and the research part of the association agreement that Israel has together with the EU to be suspended.
But these very effective tools are all at the European level. Sanctions require full consensus. A single other EU country can stop new sanctions from being introduced. That is why we need to gather support in the EU so that exactly this line becomes applicable, which both I and the Foreign Minister are doing. We urge other EU countries to act.
Sweden has also joined a Belgian initiative to have the EU Commission conduct a review of whether the EU, in its trade with Israel, makes sufficient distinction between Israel and illegal settlements in accordance with the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion.
The Government also welcomes that the EU Commission is reviewing Israel's compliance with Article 2 of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel regarding respect for human rights. The pressure on the Israeli government needs to increase so that humanitarian aid can reach those in need and so that a ceasefire can be achieved.
Lorena Delgado Varas (V)
Madam Speaker! I can admit that the government has changed its discourse over the last few months. But it has still been two years of genocide. I think there is more to it than just urging and, like, asking the companies. One must also demand accountability.
I just want to remind of the figures. Imports from Israel to Sweden have thus increased by 50 percent in 2024, during an ongoing genocide. At the same time, exports from Sweden have also increased. And this continues. It means that we are thus strengthening our economic ties to a genocidal state during a period when the UN special rapporteur is speaking about the economics of genocide. And as long as trade rolls on, the pressure on Israel decreases.
The Minister of State pointed out that economic activities in the settlements involve legal and economic risks. That is true, but we cannot just warn. We need to do more.
The European Court of Justice has ruled that goods from Israeli settlements in occupied territory must be labeled, just to avoid misleading consumers. But we know that labeling is not enough. We must be honest and say: If anything is produced on occupied territory, it is illegal and should not be on the market – period. What we need to do now is to stop all trade with Israel.
It is also said that one wants to promote responsible business globally. But responsible business without governance is an illusion – we have seen that in many different cases. If we hand over all the responsibility to the companies, it becomes self-regulation, and that has not succeeded.
I want to continue to highlight the procurement. The Public Services Procurement Authority, as has been said, has support material, but without political steering, they are not used consistently. I mean that the state can lead by example. We have so many resources that go through the state and which feed this trade. I do not believe that the Swedish people want our common public funds to be used to contribute to the occupation or the genocide.
Yesterday the ground invasion began. It was a week after the last al-Jazira journalists were murdered. There is a strategy in this. The Palestinian people are being annihilated before our eyes. The government is not capable enough of using all its tools to stop the trade that feeds the genocide machine.
Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)
Madam Speaker! The regulatory burden for European companies is already very extensive today. There are regulatory frameworks within both the UN and the OECD regarding responsible business, and it is essential that these rules are followed.
As I have pointed out several times before, Sweden and the government are pushing for the EU to introduce trade measures against Israel as soon as possible, for example by freezing the trade part of the association agreement that regulates trade between the EU and Israel. The economic pressure needs to increase, and the European Commission must urgently present proposals on how this can be done.
Sweden is very clear towards the European Commission and also urges other EU countries to act. A suspension of the trade part would mean that Israel's right to customs preferences would be withdrawn and that ordinary third-country customs duties would be introduced. It would still be possible to import goods from Israel, but the importer in the EU would need to pay the EU's ordinary third-country customs duty.
This government has, as said, done very much throughout the entire time. We have doubled the aid, and in all bilateral contexts with Israeli representatives, we have said that one must significantly improve the humanitarian access. We have pushed for this in the UN and in the EU. We have pushed for sanctions against settlers and are now pushing for sanctions against extreme ministers. We are very offensive regarding both the trade part and the research part in the association agreement. We are doing a lot.
Lorena Delgado Varas (V)
Madam Speaker! The government is doing a lot – it is rather empty words. Ministers from this government have urged for more cooperation and more trade with Israel. That says it all.
I want to conclude by reminding what is at stake, not only for the people in Gaza and Palestine but also for us as a country, our humanity and how we build a society.
When the government settles for giving guarantees and refers to expectations, it leaves companies in uncertainty. That is not taking responsibility. It also means that the government forces us, through our tax money and our consumption, to be directly involved in financially supporting a genocide.
Who wants to sponsor the bullets that perforate the hearts and heads of children in Gaza? Does the minister want to do it? I do not think so.
Take your responsibility! I, and many with me, do not want to be co-responsible for genocide.
Protecting Swedish companies in this situation means giving them clear rules of the game. The EU's new directives are binding, and companies that do not adapt risk both fines, legal proceedings, and lost competitiveness.
Companies need rules, not just expectations. Sweden needs a government that dares to take responsibility. We demand that you do what is required to stop this. Two years have passed, and other governments in the EU have started.
Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)
Madam Speaker! Member of Parliament Lorena Delgado Varas spoke about how this is about our humanity and our view of humanity. In just that part of the debate, I am actually prepared to agree with her. That is why the government both puts pressure on the Israeli government to let in more emergency aid to Gaza and puts pressure on Hamas, which started this war with one of the most brutal terrorist attacks in modern times. Furthermore, the government is doing very much here at home.
What we are now seeing in the Middle East risks spreading even to Sweden, where some people equate the actions of the Israeli government with all Jews in Sweden. Antisemitism seems to be growing even stronger here at home in Sweden. Jews who have nothing to do with the Israeli government's policies are being forced to pay with their lives and their freedom for what Netanyahu's government does. Therefore, we from the government's side must do even more to stand up for this humanity even here at home in Sweden.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.