(Communicated by the Foreign Minister’s Bureau)
In an article written by Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman and published today in the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter, FM Liberman asserts: "Unilateral decisions solve nothing."
The article was published in response to remarks by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven regarding his country's intent to recognize a Palestinian state, and after Israel's concern and disappointment with the statement were expressed to the Swedish Ambassador in Israel.
FM Liberman argues in the article that in his belief the statement by Prime Minister Löfven "was not intended to create a real solution to the problem in the international arena but rather to address domestic political needs and to appease public opinion of a certain faction of the Swedish public ".
"Over the past few weeks," FM Liberman contends, "it is possible to see the increase in atrocities committed by fanatic terror organizations such as ISIS, Al Qaeda, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and Hamas, while some of these organizations are even seeking to acquire weapons of mass destruction. What of this appears in PM Löfven's statement? The Israeli-Palestinian issue. This is not just a lack of balance; it is an indication of the absence of a basic sense of fairness".
FM Liberman adds: "The focus on the Israel-Palestinian conflict compensates various entities for the large number of failures and frustrations of the international community in its attempt to deal with the large range of complex problems on the global agenda, whereby the six words: 'solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict' are retrieved and displayed as a magic solution to all other problems.
“At a time when the entire Middle East is in flames, not to mention other regions of conflict around the world, focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is contrary to all reason. Many regions are more worthy of the attention of a country such as Sweden, a country that displays a welcome sensitivity to the issue of human rights, and the question regarding the lack of concern for the human rights of Israeli citizens who have been forced for many years to cope with waves of terrorism and thousands of missile barrages on their homes also arises.
“Israel is negatively singled out in relation to many other conflicts around the world, and this absence of fairness and the damage it causes to any prospect of promoting real dialogue is the source of our disappointment with PM Löfven's statement."
FM Liberman queries: "Do those who support unilateral steps really believe that the Israeli government - any Israeli government - can forsake the security of its citizens and Israel's national interests simply because someone outside the region mistakenly thinks that adopting the Palestinian position will resolve the conflict? Is the government of Sweden ready to abandon the best interests of Swedish citizens because of attempts by outsiders to impose a settlement on any issue? I think the answer is clear. Friendly governments do not act to undermine the national security of their allies, and do not pretend to have a better solution to dealing with the variety of challenges they face. Sweden would do well to retract its intention of acting in this manner towards its ally Israel. By doing so, Sweden will not only correct its position towards Israel, but will also contribute to an agreed solution to the Israel- Palestinian conflict."