Sweden's Walking Diplomatic Disaster

by Ingrid Carlqvist

• "It is a shame for Sweden to have a Foreign Minister who creates a diplomatic crisis as soon as she opens her mouth, and who so one-sidedly allies herself with anti-democratic forces against Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East." — Political analyst Mathias Sundin, in Aftonbladet.
• "Wallström portrays [Palestinian President Mahmoud] Abbas as a pacifist who has denounced terrorism.... He has not condemned a single one of the murders of 20 Israelis during the last few months. On the contrary ... Abbas said in September, regarding the violence against Israelis, that 'We bless every drop of blood spilled in Jerusalem', and we know that every Palestinian assassin apprehended by Israel is rewarded by the Palestinian Authority. So how can Wallström claim that he denounces terrorism, when he is actually rewarding it with money from the Swedish taxpayers? ... Is Wallström aware of the praising of terrorism? Is Wallström aware of the rewards paid to terrorists? Yes or no?" — Kent Ekeroth, Sweden Democrats Party.

Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallström (right) called the Israel Police's actions in stopping deadly stabbing attacks "extrajudicial executions," even after it was pointed out to her that "Israeli police handle the knife attacks according to the same principle that the Swedish police used..."

It seems that pretty much everything is going wrong for Sweden's Foreign Minister these days.

Margot Wallström, of the Social Democratic Party, ascended with much fanfare to the post of Foreign Minister in the fall of 2014. She had introduced a completely new concept: a feminist foreign policy. In the Statement of Foreign Policy of 2015, she asserted that "A feminist foreign policy is now being formulated, the purpose of which is to combat discrimination against women, improve conditions for women and contribute to peace and development."

One year later, we now know the outcome: "Feminist foreign policy" is not so much about protecting women's interests, as it is about fawning over the Arab states and the Palestinians -- and constantly attacking Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.

Zvi Mazel, Israel's ambassador to Sweden from 2002-2004, wrote for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs on December 14, that,

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