EU Attempts to Recognize East Jerusalem as Palestinian Capital

Europe's foreign ministers attempted to pass a resolution that would recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

This angered Israel sufficiently enough that the EU ministers backed down and reverted to their current stance that the status of Jerusalem be negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians.

It is worth noting that the resolution was drafted by Sweden. Relations between Israel and Sweden have soured considerably in 2009. First, there was the decision last March by the mayor of Malmo to bar spectators from the Davis Cup semi-final match between Israel and Sweden. This was done in protest of Israel's defensive operations into Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009.

Then there was the accusation leveled in a Swedish newspaper that IDF soldiers were harvesting the organs of Palestinians. The Swedish government refused to condemn the article even though it had expressed displeasure with Denmark when the Muslim cartoons were printed in 2006.

So it comes as little surprise that a resolution calling for Jerusalem to be divided would come from Sweden. But, of course, these anti-Israel attitudes are hardly confined to Sweden. Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign Affairs, remarked:

I don't really understand why Israel does not accept that Palestine consists of the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem. The Israelis have a right to live in Israel; the Palestinians have a right to live in Palestine.

Except that the Palestinians don't recognize Israel in any way, shape or form. Isn't Asselborn familiar with "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free"?