Gideon Levy: Shame on You Sweden for Telling Israel the Truth
Israel,
an occupying state that brutally expels refugees and asylum seekers, is
preaching morality to the closest thing there is today to a model
state.
haaretz.com
Here’s another record for Israeli chutzpah:
Israel excoriating Sweden and lecturing it on morality. An occupying
state, which defies international law and the decisions of the
international community, which brutally expels refugees and asylum
seekers, preaches morality to Sweden, the closest thing there is today
to a model state. The Swedish ambassador to Israel was again “summoned”
for a “clarification,” or perhaps it was a reprimand. Once again Israel
was going to give it to Sweden for speaking carelessly, and teach it a
lesson it wouldn’t soon forget.
The
Swedish envoy, Carl Magnus Nesser, is already used to these stupid
sessions dictated by diplomatic protocol. In October of last year he was
also “reprimanded” by the Foreign Ministry, because his country dared
to recognize a Palestinian state – shame on you, Sweden! Now he got
another threatening finger-wagging from Israel, the world’s instructor,
because of Jerusalem’s twisted interpretation of remarks by the Swedish
foreign minister, who said some accurate things about the connection
between terror and despair. Margot Wallström immediately explained that
she hadn’t meant to link the events in Paris last week to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but Israel, of course, will never miss an
opportunity to lash out at the world, especially when we’re talking
about this righteous Nordic country, which drives Israel crazy with its
morality.
Nothing
Wallström said was worthy of Israel’s brutal, cynical attack. It’s too
bad that this principled minister, whose government canceled an arms
deal with Saudi Arabia because of the violations of human rights there,
fell into Israel’s trap and tried to justify herself – in vain, of
course. She spoke the truth: There is a link between despair and terror.
But Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s righteous prophet, who prefers the
regimes of Belarus and Serbia over Sweden, said the remarks reminded him
of “Sweden’s policy during World War II,” another escalation of Israeli
chutzpah. And as always, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said
Wallström’s remarks “bordered on anti-Semitism.”
The
Israeli scandal sheets didn’t miss the chance to inflame national
passions, either, giving their readers exactly what they wanted by
dubbing the incident “Stockholm Syndrome,” complete with the usual
slander from its propagandistic commentators.
In truth,
Israel ought to look up at Sweden with envy, admiration and awe. If
Israel was indeed a light unto the nations, it would be acting like
Sweden. Raoul Wallenberg was Swedish, and he saved thousands of Jews
during the Holocaust, more than almost any country rescued. Now Sweden
is rescuing hundreds of thousands of other refugees. About 1,000
asylum-seekers are streaming into Sweden every day, some 200,000 in
2015. Sweden has absorbed Iraqis, Afghans, Yugoslavians, Iranians,
Eritreans and Somalis, and now it is taking in Syrians, 100,000 Syrians.
Forty-four percent of Swedes said in a recent poll that they’re
prepared to take in more refugees.
Doesn’t
this remind you of Israel? Some $4.5 million dollars were collected at a
Swedish charity concert, and all the country’s elites signed a petition
on behalf of the refugees. Just like here. True, Sweden’s radical right
is gaining strength, and Jews are reporting anti-Semitic outbursts,
particularly in the migrant town of Malmo, but where is Israel compared
to Sweden?
Indeed,
Sweden is a model of a welfare state and social services that Israel
can only dream about, even if some of its benefits are being rolled
back. Sweden hasn’t fought a war since 1814, while Israel’s prime
minister has promised its citizens that they will live eternally by the
sword. A country with a population only slightly bigger than Israel is
taking in 200,000 refugees this year, enabling most of them to live free
and dignified lives.
There’s
no need to dress things up; Sweden isn’t without its problems. But to
think that Israel dare preach to such a country? Sweden, my love, if
only you were Israel.
Gideon Levy
Haaretz Correspondent
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