Boycotting Israel?
Sweden, Israel quarrel over military exercise pull-out
Swedish Jan-39 Gripen jet fighters. Sweden and Israel were locked in a diplomatic row after the Scandinavian country pulled out of a military exercise because the Israelis were taking part.(AFP/File)
April 27,2006
Yahoo News
STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Sweden and Israel were locked in a diplomatic row after the Scandinavian country pulled out of a military exercise because the Israelis were taking part.
The Swedish foreign ministry said on Wednesday that the Spring Flag air exercises in Sardinia on May 8-25 "have been organised for peacekeeping operations and we don't want to take part because of Israel's participation".
The nine countries due to participate -- Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden -- were to train together for future collaboration in international peacekeeping operations.
But Israel is unlikely to be involved in any such peacekeeping operations, the foreign ministry said, calling into question the need for the exercises.
On Thursday, the Israeli embassy in Stockholm condemned the Swedish decision.
"If Sweden cannot take part in a peacekeeping exercise because Israel participates in it, then we can hardly see Sweden take part in peacemaking in our region," the embassy said in a statement.
It also criticised Stockholm for approving a forthcoming visit by members of the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas, at the invitation of Swedish associations.
But Prime Minister Goeran Persson told journalists that drawing a parallel between the exercises and the planned Hamas visit was "deeply wrong and offensive".
The government was not planning to meet the Hamas officials, he said.
Earlier in the day, a high-ranking Israeli official told AFP that Sweden's attitude was "incomprehensible" and would "not contribute to peace in the region".
Sweden's new foreign minister, Jan Eliasson, tried to play down the quarrel, saying it had blown up to "larger proportions than it deserves".
"There is no reason to dramatise. This has nothing to do with our relations with Israel, which we wish to preserve and develop," he told the TT news agency. He said the Swedish decision was strictly based on the country's "exercise needs".
The F17 air base in Blekinge, southern Sweden, was due to represent the Scandinavian country in the exercises but had "received orders from military headquarters" to pull out, F17 spokesman Kent Loewing told AFP.
Indonesia refuses to play Fed Cup playoff in Israel
April 27, 2006
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia refused to play a Fed Cup series in Israel in July and wants the women's tennis matches switched to a neutral country.
Indonesia, home to about 190 million Muslims, has no diplomatic relations with Israel and has long supported Palestinian independence.
"We cannot play in Israel," August Ferry Raturandang, the Indonesian Tennis Association deputy secretary-general, said Thursday. Read more...
Note:
People of Sweden and Indonesia, I just wished to thank you; for standing up for your beliefs. As they say where I come from Alhamdulillah!
Swedish Jan-39 Gripen jet fighters. Sweden and Israel were locked in a diplomatic row after the Scandinavian country pulled out of a military exercise because the Israelis were taking part.(AFP/File)
April 27,2006
Yahoo News
STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Sweden and Israel were locked in a diplomatic row after the Scandinavian country pulled out of a military exercise because the Israelis were taking part.
The Swedish foreign ministry said on Wednesday that the Spring Flag air exercises in Sardinia on May 8-25 "have been organised for peacekeeping operations and we don't want to take part because of Israel's participation".
The nine countries due to participate -- Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden -- were to train together for future collaboration in international peacekeeping operations.
But Israel is unlikely to be involved in any such peacekeeping operations, the foreign ministry said, calling into question the need for the exercises.
On Thursday, the Israeli embassy in Stockholm condemned the Swedish decision.
"If Sweden cannot take part in a peacekeeping exercise because Israel participates in it, then we can hardly see Sweden take part in peacemaking in our region," the embassy said in a statement.
It also criticised Stockholm for approving a forthcoming visit by members of the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas, at the invitation of Swedish associations.
But Prime Minister Goeran Persson told journalists that drawing a parallel between the exercises and the planned Hamas visit was "deeply wrong and offensive".
The government was not planning to meet the Hamas officials, he said.
Earlier in the day, a high-ranking Israeli official told AFP that Sweden's attitude was "incomprehensible" and would "not contribute to peace in the region".
Sweden's new foreign minister, Jan Eliasson, tried to play down the quarrel, saying it had blown up to "larger proportions than it deserves".
"There is no reason to dramatise. This has nothing to do with our relations with Israel, which we wish to preserve and develop," he told the TT news agency. He said the Swedish decision was strictly based on the country's "exercise needs".
The F17 air base in Blekinge, southern Sweden, was due to represent the Scandinavian country in the exercises but had "received orders from military headquarters" to pull out, F17 spokesman Kent Loewing told AFP.
Indonesia refuses to play Fed Cup playoff in Israel
April 27, 2006
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia refused to play a Fed Cup series in Israel in July and wants the women's tennis matches switched to a neutral country.
Indonesia, home to about 190 million Muslims, has no diplomatic relations with Israel and has long supported Palestinian independence.
"We cannot play in Israel," August Ferry Raturandang, the Indonesian Tennis Association deputy secretary-general, said Thursday. Read more...
Note:
People of Sweden and Indonesia, I just wished to thank you; for standing up for your beliefs. As they say where I come from Alhamdulillah!
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 2:45 AM
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