Sweden recently declared that it will recognise the state of Palestine, which is great news and probably the best that ever happened to the European Union. Surely, this will be something that will change the history of Middle Eastern politics. Various European countries have taken appreciable steps to solve the Palestine and Israel conflict. Now, finally and most importantly, people with conscience have taken the right decision to support the people of Palestine.
While reading the news of Sweden’s decision, Dr Mads Gilbert, a Norwegian surgeon volunteering at a Gaza hospital, came to my mind. In July, he had invited US President Barack Obama to spend a night in Al Shifa’a Hospital to see the consequences of Israel’s deadly assault on the Palestinian enclave.
In an interview, Dr Mads Gilbert said that there was a firm solidarity movement with the Palestinian people in Europe, including his home country Norway. He was right and with the recent declaration, Sweden has become the first European country to recognise the state of Palestine.
The sacrifices of the Gazans have borne fruit in Europe. Now, Sweden is making the headlines, in which a weak alliance government has taken a strong decision in spite of its strong criticism. Clearly, the US and Israel are not happy about this declaration and perhaps, due to unbearable pressure, Sweden may be forced to abstain from officially recognising the state of Palestine.
However, in a statement, the Swedish Foreign Minister, Margot Wallstrom said: “It’s not the US that decides our politics; Stockholm will continue the constructive dialogue with the US to explain our motives and reasons for this.” With the Swedish move, the Palestinian issue has emerged as an unavoidable case.
In fact, the Swedish decision is not only going to change the course of Middle Eastern politics but also that of European politics. Other European countries, including Dr Gilbert’s Norway, may now also step forward to support the Palestinian cause.
In turn, the change in European politics will bring better times not only to the Palestinians, but also to all displaced and poor people around the world.
- The reader is a Pakistani national based in Karachi, Pakistan.
