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Back in the 1970s, Scandinavia was one of the most pro-Israeli regions in the world. But then a sense of justice and humanity set in and Israeli crimes became clear. These nations are now amongst the most pro-Palestinian in the world.
Without exaggeration, support for the Palestinians hovers around 90% in these countries. As president of the rotating EU chair, Sweden recently strongly criticized Israeli ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem and pushed through an EU declaration in support of Palestinian national aspirations.
A prominent Swede once declared that her wish would be a Palestinian state above all. And it is here where the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign has amongst its strongest roots. A few months back, the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund divested from Israeli companies tied to the occupation.
Upon recommendation by the government’s Council on Ethics and lobbying by a pro-Palestinian NGO; a decision was made to divest from Israel’s Elbit Systems Ltd. for supplying surveillance for Israel’s Wall which encompasses 8% more Palestinian land.
“We do not wish to fund companies that so directly contribute to violations of international humanitarian law,” Norway’s Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen said in a statement citing an International Court of Justice ruling that declared the Wall a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention. “Norwegian authorities act in accordance with this,” Halvorsen added.
“The freedom of movement of the people living in the occupied territory has been unacceptably restricted,” Halvoren went on to state and that Elbit technologies are “one of the main components in the separation barrier and its associated control regime.”
“The surveillance system has been specially designed in close collaboration with the buyer and has no other applications. Furthermore Elbit is clearly aware of exactly where and how the system is intended to be used,” the statement went on.
The Israeli government criticized the decision in vain. Israel has no lobby in Europe to do its dirty work. And now sister Sweden has followed suit:
Danish Bank (Danske Bank), the biggest financial group in Denmark, has excluded Elbit Systems, Magal and Africa Israel from its investment portfolio because of their involvement in providing equipment for the Wall and in settlement construction. The Danish Bank is normally not quick to divest, and its list of excluded companies has now risen to only 24 companies around the globe.
This is a new war against Israel - the new 'Apartheid South Africa'. This play has already played out and in playing out it played in a way that plays against the player Israel. Got that? In other words: Israel has a few more years and it is finally and way past its time gone.
