Mideast conflict needs Scandinavian drive
Scandinavian experience at peacemaking and human rights could again prove useful at jump-starting the deadlocked Israel-Palestine negotiations.
"But why Oslo?" US President Bill Clinton asked Israeli President Shimon Peres when the Israeli leader broke the news to him about the 1993 agreements. The answer is still relevant today. In an era in which imposing peace is impossible, facilitating peace is an important element of peace diplomacy. Such facilitation is about the creation of the right environment and conditions for negotiations as well as socioeconomic assistance in a post-conflict process.
Medium-scale powers, not superpowers, have the best chance of playing a facilitating role. These are countries with the soft power of good economies and a tradition of peacemaking and human rights — those who can be honest brokers without intimidating the parties concerned. This is probably what the new Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven had in mind when he announced Oct. 3 that Sweden would recognize a Palestinian state. According to diplomatic sources in Stockholm, the move was intended both to place the new government on the EU policymaking map and to serve as a wake-up call to the rather dormant European partners.
The Palestinian leadership hopes that the Swedish move will create a bandwagon effect in Europe. They are mainly aiming for the United Kingdom — encouraged by the Oct. 13 decision of Westminster) — as well as France and the other Scandinavian countries.
Another Nordic move in favor of the Palestinians was Norway's hosting, together with Egypt, of the Oct. 12 "Gaza reconstruction" conference. Since the Oslo Accord in 1993, the Norwegian government has been driving donor community efforts on Palestine and is one of the biggest contributors to the Palestinian economy.
