Sweden's Foreign Minister: "Israel is losing its moral values"

The Jerusalem Post ^ | 2 February 2003 | Herb Keinon

[anotherview]

Sweden's Foreign Minister: "Israel is losing its moral values"
By HERB KEINON

After months of relative quiet from Stockholm, Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh again raised eyebrows in Jerusalem with a speech Thursday in which she blasted the Israeli election results and put down Israel’s democracy.

Speaking at an award ceremony in Stockholm where Hanan Ashrawi was awarded the 2002 Olof Palme Award, named after the slain Swedish prime minister, Lindh – in a speech full of praise for Ashrawi - said "I fear that the Palestinian people soon will lose all hope of an independent state, and that Israel will lose its moral values. Israel is a democracy balancing on a thin line."

The result of the Israeli elections, Lindh said, "unfortunately points to continued confrontation, instead of security and of peace. To me this policy is cynical, not the least because Israeli authorities fight the work for reform and peace in the Palestinian Authority.

That was evident when the Israeli government denied three Palestinians to leave the country for a peace conference in London, when universities are closed down, and when timing always seems to be suited to violence, not negotiations."

Lindh also slammed the construction of a wall along the Green Line to foil Palestinian infiltrators. "Now a wall is constructed, about 350 kilometers long, eight meters high by 60 meters broad. Israelis call it protection. Palestinians call it – rightly – confiscation."

One Israeli diplomatic official responded to Lindh's statements, the last in a long list of highly critical comments over the last two years, by saying, "Who is she to moralize to us." The official said that although Lindh is perhaps Israel’s sharpest critic in Europe, "hers is not a lone voice by any means."

Sweden is presently without an ambassador to Israel, since the ambassador – Anders Liden - was recently appointed director-general of the Swedish foreign ministry. As a result, Israel’s Ambassador to Sweden, Zvi Mazel, has been instructed to protest Lindh’s speech directly to Liden.

Lindh said that the Palestinian leadership must do everything in its power to stop terrorism, and said Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism. "But no one can really believe that this is the best way to do it," she said.

[Pyro7480]

My first reaction to such a ludicrous statement was to laugh. Who are the Swedish to say such a thing? The Europeans are further down the moral sewer than anyone else is.

[Braak]

Must be real cozy to be Sweedish, and never have to take much of a moral stand on anything, Raoul Wallenberg aside, the Sweedes make me sick, all holier than thou, but then again, why don't we ask about Sweedish RBS-70 SAMs, the Iran-Iraq war, and the death of Olaf Palme...yeah, you guys don't have the right to judge nada.

[arielb]

Israel will lose its moral values once Sharon has a unity between Labor and Shinui

[NormsRevenge]

Are the swedes still paying the highest taxes in the world?

Yup, Let's give the Olof Palme award to "moderate Palestinian" mouthpiece/freedom fighter, Hanan Ashrawi. That'll show 'em.

[Cicero]

Yes, Shinui makes me extremely nervous. Not a good sign at all.

[elhombrelibre]

Sweeden??? Is that the same Sweeden that sold so much to Hitler during WWLL? Oh, it couldn't be the sameone and now lecturing Israel.

[hinckley buzzard]

Da Swedes. Ya shure. You can go back to WW II when da Swedes happily sold high-grade steel to the Nazi War Machine.

Moral values my a**. Best of the Scandahoovians came to the US a hundred years ago.

[RobbyS]

How is it that history has ignored that during World War II, Sweden, like Switzerland, enriched herself through trade with Nazi Germany? In 1940, Sweden was a relatively poor country. During the Cold War, she played a similar game with East and West.

[Loyalist]

Compared to the Swedes, the French are paragons of integrity and morality.

[anotherview]

Israel did not lose its moral values with Labor in government as a junior partner to Likud. Indeed, having Shimon Peres defending Ariel Sharon's policies internationally was useful.

I certainly have no problem with Shinui. When it comes to the Palestinians they might as well be part of Likud. The idea that the Orthodox should not control every aspect of ordinary Israeli's lives in a country that is 70% non-Orthodox also makes sense. Being opposed to religious control is not the same thing as being anti-religious. Besides, Shinui is already backing down on not sitting in government with the religious parties.

The wider the coalition the stronger Ariel Sharon's government it and the less the chance that a small party (or even Shinui) can hold the government hostage to it's demands.

[prisoner6]

Sweden...says it all...right behind the frogs.

Another hing France and Sweden have in common. They both think they can make cars.

prisoner6

[Travis McGee]

"Neutral" Sweden made a ton of cash during WW2 selling iron ore and high strength steel to Hitler.

Swedish "neutrality" profited from Aushwitz.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

The Swedes are dupes. During the Cold War, the Russians used to send their submarines into Swedish harbors to train their crews how to get in without being detected. This was common knowledge except to the Swedes. Socialist, single mothers can really bring a contry to its knees.

[retiredtexan]

Who the hell are they to talk?

[Afronaut]

After Ford Bought VOLVO they now have nothing. Did a Great Job in the 2nd WW? Cowards. Nice looking girls though....

[Calvin Locke]

After months of relative quiet from Stockholm, Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh...

There are many ways to consider this, since Anna Lindh, like many politicians in general, and European Socialists in
particular, doesn't play with a full deck.

This woman apparently plays only with jokers when the Mid-East is concerned.

1.) You are a masochist to read further.

2.) You enjoy a laugh at the bizarreness of elected officals.

3.) You are preparing yourself to maintain your blood pressure at safe levels whenever Anna Lindh-like ilk start to make hay of minimal or non-existant "problems".

4.) You continue to cry over what passes for journalism and what they consider news-worthy.

No Swedish jokes. *WE* put Jimmy Carter AND Bill Clinton in to power. Bill Clinton TWICE.

[Jeff Chandler]

I scratched my head when I read "Sweden" and "moral values" in the same sentence.

[Cachelot]

Anna Lindh has been shilling for Iraq almost as eagerly as Ritter. And now it seems she's working to have Islam taught in the schools.

Nothing new there...