APN | Zoom

30 November 2024

During the Israeli Ecocide Conference organized by Sweden’s Left Party in Malmö, APN General Manager, Mariam Jaajaa, delivered a series of candid messages, highlighting the contrast between Sweden’s historical support for Palestine and its current alignment with Israel.

In her address, Al Jaajaa noted that Sweden, once a loyal supporter of Palestine, is now strengthening its trade relations with Israel. These ties are evident in the exchange of goods, including Swedish exports of vehicles, machinery, and industrial items, while Israel exports fertilizers, electronics, and medical devices to Sweden.

She cited the recent $170 million defense deal with Israel’s Elbit Systems to supply technology to the Swedish military as an example of this shift. Additionally, she pointed out that products from Swedish company Aimpoint AB are used by the Israeli military in its operations in Gaza, raising questions about Sweden’s complicity in Israeli violations against Palestinians.

Al Jaajaa also revealed that machinery from Swedish company Volvo is employed in ethnic cleansing operations by Israel, including home demolitions, farm destructions, and building illegal settlements on Palestinian land, actions she categorized as war crimes under international law. Furthermore, she accused IKEA of furnishing illegal settlements in the West Bank, implicating the company in these violations indirectly.

She urged the international community, especially Sweden, to take concrete steps to support Palestine by empowering Palestinians to maintain their lands and livelihoods, imposing economic and political sanctions on Israel, and enacting bans on weapons, energy, and trade.

Al Jaajaa urged the use of accurate terminology, such as “settler colonialism”, and called for resisting colonial indoctrination in media and academic institutions while pressuring Western governments to uphold their obligations beyond their borders.

She concluded by emphasizing the need to integrate “ecocide” into international legal frameworks, citing Israel’s systematic destruction of Palestinian ecosystems and food systems. She also urged Swedish environmental defenders to support APN’s Revive Gaza’s Farmland project.

These messages serve as a reminder of the international community’s moral and legal responsibilities towards the Palestinian people and pose an open question about Sweden’s potential role in achieving justice for Palestine.