Swedish Christian Democrats ask to move embassy to Jerusalem
The Swedish representation in Israel sits in Tel Aviv now. Most embassies are there. But the Swedish Christian Democrats want the embassy to move to Jerusalem, like the US did in 2018. Photo Google Street View
Northern Europe
The Christian Democrats in Sweden ask the government to move the country's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Above that, the party wants the government to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel "as soon as possible."
These proposals will be tabled at the party's congress in mid-November. The Swedish daily Dagen reports about this.
The board of the Swedish Christian Democrats, the KD, says that the situation in Israel has changed since the United States moved their embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018. That was done under President Donald Trump, who answered an old promise done by several earlier presidents. This move, however, was followed by many intense protests along the border with Gaza. Over 50 people were killed and 1,200 injured.
More countries follow US
The Swedish government called Trump's decision a "disaster", according to KD. "But it can now be stated that the biggest consequence of the decision was that more countries chose to follow the US example," the party board says in its statement.
Sweden should push for a joint line within the EU. But according to the party board, a move of the Swedish embassy can take place "before a common EU line is in place." European nations are growingly critical to both Israel and the United States. It is not to be expected that the EU as a whole would favour Jerusalem above Tel Aviv as the place for diplomatic representation any time soon.
KD's foreign policy spokesman Lars Adaktusson is currently in Israel. There, he is discussing in-depth cooperation between Swedish and Israeli parliamentarians. "In all the meetings in the Knesset, I will emphasise the importance of taking the next step in building relationships as soon as possible. From the Swedish side, we should start the process of moving the Swedish embassy to Jerusalem", says Adaktusson on the party's website.
Move to the right
The KD has 22 seats in the 349 Riksdag, the Swedish parliament. The party has served in government coalitions several times. Observers see that the party moves to the right during the current parliamentary session regarding topics like migration and cooperation with other parties. The embassy proposal could also be seen in that context.
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