Muslims, who now make up about 7 percent of Sweden’s population, vote overwhelmingly for leftwing parties. In deciding to recognize a fictive Palestinian state, the Swedish government was motivated less by diplomatic considerations than by the desire to satisfy that crucial voting bloc. What can Israel learn from this by way of an appropriate diplomatic response? Wilhelm Roth writes:
Israel is a small state which needs to operate in the world like an empire, which knows how to use its sticks in the most effective possible manner. . . . Familiarity with [Sweden] would show that the ruling party is in fact a minority government: the coalition has 138 seats while the opposition has 211. An under-the-radar call for the opposition parties to demand that recognition of a Palestinian state only be done through parliament, and stressing their own opposition to such [recognition], along with a bag of goodies from Israel for Sweden as a whole . . . could shut down the issue for good. More than that: using this political tool is not only desirable for [Sweden’s] right-wing parties now; it would also strengthen ties between the two countries when the right wins the country.
Read more on Mida: http://mida.org.il/2014/11/09/swedes-court-muslim-vote/