Sweden to recognise state of Palestine

[Israeli]

Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem ....

Sweden’s new centre-left government has indicated that it intends to formally recognise the state of Palestine – making it the first major European country to do so.
The move is significant because it comes amid a diplomatic push by Palestinians at the UN to secure a security council resolution setting a two-year deadline for Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories and East Jerusalem by November 2016.

Separately on 13 October British MPs will be asked to vote on a motion – put forward by the Labour MP Grahame Morris – calling on the UK to recognise Palestine.

The announcement by the Swedish prime minister, Stefan Löfven, will be seen as a significant boost to the recent Palestinian campaign to push forward and seek unilateral recognition following the collapse of the US-sponsored peace process earlier this year.

Recognition by Sweden would be seen as a significant diplomatic blow to Israel, which was warned by the White House last week that it risked alienating “even its closest allies” if it continued with settlement building.
The Swedish announcement came as the EU joined Washington in harshly criticising last week’s announcement by Israel of planning approval for 2,600 new housing units in a settlement across the green line.


Continued @
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/03/sweden-recognise-state-palestine

[the_sly_pig]

1. I'm ok with it. n/t

[Israeli]

2. Me to . n/t

[riversedge]

4. kick

[TexasProgresive]

3. What will happen to the settlements if the occupation ends

and Palestine becomes a state?

[King_David]

5. What you talking about ?

This is just another country of many recognizing Palestine as a state - already .

Sweden is arriving late to the party.

[TexasProgresive]

14. Let's just call it a hypothetical question.

When the Sinai was returned to Egypt the settlements in the Sinai were abandoned. So if Palestine becomes a state-what will happen to the settlements?

[King_David]

15. Gaza is much more recent than Sinai

They were all handed over and then Hamas destroyed them.

[Israeli]

17. Its not just another country KD ...

...Sweden is the first major European country, party to the European Union, which has chosen to recognize Palestine as a state.

[King_David]

18. Yes I do know this. nt

[Scootaloo]

8. That's up to the Palestinians

Every single settlement is illegal. The people living there have no legal right to be there. Thus Palestine is in its legal rights to demand the expulsion of all of those people back to Israel. However Palestine will likely take a more nuanced approach, offering Palestinian citizenship to those people who are not criminals (beyond the squatting) and who are willing to accept Palestinian rule.

...Which will probably lead to a lot of settlers leaving voluntarily, because their vaunted "deep and ncient bond to the land" is vey pale compared to their bond with being more equal than others.

[King_David]

9. You make that up? , LOL

(Best check your facts before posting your own factually incorrect wishful thinking Scootaloo )


PLO official: Palestine should be free of Jews

WASHINGTON - The Palestinian Liberation Organization's Ambassador to the US Maen Areikat said Wednesday that any future Palestinian state must be free of Jews. Speaking to reporters in the US he said, "After the experience of the last 44 years of military occupation and all the conflict and friction, I think it would be in the best interest of the two people to be separated."


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4122473,00.html

[Scootaloo]

10. Nothing I said is factually incorrect

1) it's entirely up to Palestine what they want to do with the issue.
2) Every single settlement is illegal
3) Thus the settlers have no right at all to be there
4) Palestine is therefore within its right to expel all of them, if it wishes.

However, the reality of the situation is that it's going to be damned hard to kick nearly three hundred thousand heavily-armed squatters out of the West Bank without some serious issues arising. So Palestine probably will take a more nuanced approach to the issue.

[King_David]

11. I think you need do some reading , you don't seem to have a clue what's going on there.

It's clear you never been there and you also clueless on what's happening there too and yet your posts exude "confidence" LOL



PLO official: Palestine should be free of Jews

WASHINGTON - The Palestinian Liberation Organization's Ambassador to the US Maen Areikat said Wednesday that any future Palestinian state must be free of Jews. Speaking to reporters in the US he said, "After the experience of the last 44 years of military occupation and all the conflict and friction, I think it would be in the best interest of the two people to be separated."
Areikat made the statements after being asked about the rights of minorities in a future Palestinian state, USA Today reported. He declared that the PLO seeks a secular state, but that Palestinians need separation to work on their own national identity.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4122473,00.html

[Scootaloo]

12. "LOL" is not an argument, Dave

Again. Nothing I said is factually incorrect, including the logistic and political difficulty of forcing the colonists out.

[azurnoir]

13. Ynet took it's ques from USA Today the reporters were from CSM and it was an interview

Godwinizing and all not to mention this 3 years ago

from HuffPo :

"Under no circumstances was I saying that no Jews can be in Palestine," Areikat said by phone. "What a statement that would be for me to make! I never said that, and I never meant to say such a thing. This is not a religious conflict, and we want to establish a secular state."

A tape recording of Areikat's remarks from the on-the-record breakfast Wednesday morning, sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor, shows that his words were more nuanced than first reported: He described the terms as his "personal" view, and specified that this situation would apply "at first," not in perpetuity.

His full quote, in response to a question about a Jewish minority remaining in Palestine, is below:

Well, you know, I think - I still believe, I personally still believe that as a first step we need to be totally separated, and we can contemplate these issues in the future. But after the experience of the last 44 years of military occupation and all the conflict and friction I think it would be in the best interests of the two peoples to be separated at first.

In the interview with HuffPost, Areikat reiterated that Israeli soldiers and settlers -- "persons who are amid an occupation, who are in my land illegally" -- would be rejected from the new Palestinian state.

But he added that he would not like to see any restrictions on access to religious or holy sites for any person of any faith or nationality.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/14/report-palestinian-state-free-of-jews_n_962906.html?view=print&comm_ref=false

[King_David]

19. No Israelis in future Palestinian state, Abbas says

No Israelis in future Palestinian state, Abbas says

Read more: http://www.jta.org/2013/07/30/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/no-jews-in-future-palestinian-state-abbas-says#ixzz3FH4cI5gw

[Israeli]

16. Huge question ....

...first they need defined borders .....it should be The Green Line .
I tend to agree with Scoot ...but ...the settlers wont give up without a fight ....some will ...but those that are driven by their ideology ..uh uh .

[Jefferson23]

6. Excellent. n/t

[Jefferson23]

7. Palestinians hail Swedish move on statehood as 'courageous'

RAMALLAH (AFP) -- Sweden's decision to recognize a Palestinian state is "courageous," senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said Friday, calling on other EU states to follow suit.

"We salute the announcement by the Swedish prime minister," said Saeb Erakat in the West Bank administrative capital of Ramallah.

"We hope that all countries of the European Union will take the same courageous and remarkable decision ... as there is no reason not to recognize the Palestinian state."

Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, said "the time has come for the entire world to recognise the Palestinian state."

And foreign minister Riyad al-Malki welcomed what he called Sweden's "historic" commitment to freedom, dignity and human rights.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=731705

[Jefferson23]

20. snip* US displeasure

Seven EU members in eastern Europe and the Mediterranean have already recognised a Palestinian state, namely Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Romania.

Non-EU member Iceland is the only other western European nation to have done so.

Lofven's statement was warmly welcomed by the Palestinians but the US, Israel's ally, said it was a step too soon.

"We believe international recognition of a Palestinian state is premature," said the US state department's spokeswoman, Jen Psaki.

Reacting to the US remarks, new foreign minister and former EU commissioner Margot Wallstrom said criticism had been expected and that "it is not the US that determines our policies".

While in opposition, the Social Democrats and the Green Party, now governing together, had demanded Swedish recognition of Palestine.

But the former ruling centre-right coalition opposed such a move, arguing that a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians must be in place before recognition is possible.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/israel-sweden-palestine-recognise-recognises-20141059367478465.html

[Fozzledick]

21. Swedish Embassy in Israel backpedals on PM’s state of Palestine declaration

JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Swedish Embassy in Israel appears to have walked back the new prime minister’s declaration that Sweden would recognize a state of Palestine.

In a statement released Sunday evening, the embassy said Sweden will recognize a Palestinian state at the conclusion of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

“The conflict between Israel and Palestine can only be resolved through a two-state solution … negotiated in accordance with the principles of international law,” the statement said. “It must guarantee the legitimate demands of both the Palestinians and the Israelis for national self-determination and security. A two-state solution requires mutual recognition and a will to coexist peacefully. Therefore, Sweden will recognize the State of Palestine.”

The statement was released hours after Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said he would summon the ambassador from Sweden over the declaration by new Prime Minister Stefan Loven that his government would recognize the state of Palestine. Lofven did not say when Sweden would recognize Palestinian statehood.

http://www.jta.org/2014/10/05/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/swedish-embassy-in-israel-backpedals-on-pms-state-of-palestine-declaration

[azurnoir]

22. No timeframe

Social Democrat leader Lofven - who narrowly won last month's general election - said in his inaugural speech on Friday that his government wanted to bolster a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

No timeframe for the formal recognition of a Palestinian state has been announced. The decision does not need parliamentary approval to be enforced.

"A two-state solution requires mutual recognition and the will to co-exist peacefully," Lofven told parliament.

This should take place with respect for the "legitimate demands of the Palestinians and the Israelis as regards their right to self-determination and security", he added.

Lofven met the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, in Ramallah in 2012 and told him that Sweden would recognise Palestine should the Social Democrats return to power.

Sweden voted in favour of Palestinian observer status at the UN in 2012, which was granted despite opposition from the US and other countries.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/israel-sweden-palestine-recognise-recognises-20141059367478465.html

[King_David]

23. Looks like he will stall and delay

But wants the props now.

[azurnoir]

24. Could be n/t