Israel to Sweden: the peace process is not like Ikea furniture

Posted By Joshua Keating Tuesday, December 8, 2009 - 1:26 PM Share

It hasn't been a great year for Israeli-Swedish relations. First there was the controversy over an anti-Semitic article about Israelis stealing organs in a Swedish tabloid, which both governments blew up into a much bigger issue than it needed to be. Then this week, Sweden, which holds the rotating European Union presidency, issued a proposal calling for the EU to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state. EU foreign ministers adopted a somewhat watered-down version of the draft today, but the war of words between Israel and Sweden continues:

"The peace process in the Middle East is not like IKEA furniture," one official said, making a reference to the do-it-yourself Swedish furniture chain. "It takes more than a screw and a hammer, it takes a true understanding of the constraints and sensitivities of both sides, and in that Sweden failed miserably."

The Foreign Ministry said that Tuesday's EU statement was substantially softer than Sweden's initial draft, once again demonstrating Sweden's failure as the rotating president of the union. "Sweden has done nothing over recent months to advance the Middle East peace process," the Foreign Ministry officials said. "The EU's only saving grace is that some of its members are responsible and moderate nations that didn't support the Swedish draft, which looked like something taken out of the Fatah platform at the Bethlehem conference."

Please. The original draft praises both Israel's settlement freeze and U.S. mediation efforts. You can debate whether or not it's productive for Sweden to be issuing proclamations on where the Palestinian border should be drawn, but in the end, these declarations have only about as much weight as the parties involved choose to give them. Which, judging from the righteous outrage out of Avigdor Lieberman's shop, seems to be quite a lot. This sort of thing might play well to Lieberman's political base, but internationally it just gives the EU's East Jerusalem critique way more publicity than it would have had before.

EXPLORE:EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, ISRAEL/PALESTINE

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GRANT

3:54 PM ET

December 8, 2009

Given that the Palestinians

Given that the Palestinians don't appear to have declared an independent state of Palestine yet (within the Palestinian Authority that is) I think it's a bit premature to speak of capitals.

RANDOMVARIABLE

4:40 PM ET

December 8, 2009

Not like Ikea furniture? You

Not like Ikea furniture?

You haven't seen the Ikea Paas Tabel used during the N. Ireland peace talks. Comes with a full set of preconditions:

See http://bit.ly/6bxghw from 7:20 onwards.

BOWSER0128

10:14 PM ET

December 8, 2009

Another analysis on this decision

here's a similar analysis of this move- somewhat pro-Israel but also in favor of Palestinian sovereignty.

http://israel.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/12/08/the-building-of-a-wall-this-time-by-the-eu/

TCMN-AWRT

8:12 AM ET

December 9, 2009

Strange

I think it's a strange thing to compare the problems with Israel and Sweden to some furniture. Oh, well what do I know?!

SAN FERNANDO CURT

1:19 PM ET

December 9, 2009

Balms away!

Every time Israel is confronted with an excruciating double-standard it applies to policy, the Palestinians or its very existence, it pleads violation of its "sensitivity". I can't remember encountering or hearing of a more brutally sensitive nation on earth.

SOON

3:54 PM ET

December 9, 2009

war criminals like to rub it in

Lets be real Israel or should you just simply be called Israel gustapo... you either threatened, bribed or made false promises to the other e.u countries who contested the words..... shame on you and your nazi practices.
I am just thankful that Sweden had the you know what, to do something right rather then listening to Israel Gustapo propaganda.

ALEXLOBSTERS

12:21 PM ET

January 6, 2010

Very useful materials for

Very useful materials for writing academic papers in university! :)
Research paper topics | research papers | research paper help

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