RAMALLAH: Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Swedish Parliament Johan Bser stressed the need for Israel to respect international law, avoid targeting civilians in the Gaza Strip, and stop building settlements in the West Bank.
In an interview with the ‘Malaf al-Yawm’ program on Palestine TV, Bser stressed the importance of condemning what is happening in the Palestinian territories, and the international community’s work to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in order to stop the aggression against the Gaza Strip, implement international law, and the principle of the two-state solution, which many countries are talking about at the present time.
He pointed out that some countries are moving to recognize the Palestinian state, as Sweden did in 2014.
Bser stressed the work within Parliament to put pressure on the Swedish government and European governments to improve their position and reach a two-state solution.
“Israel does not respect international law and does not provide
protection for Palestinian civilians. The Swedish people are aware of the existence of double standards when talking about international law and inequality between peoples. It is necessary to have international pressure on Israel to stop its aggression against the Palestinian people,” he said.
Bser pointed out the importance of bringing aid into the Gaza Strip and establishing a ceasefire, and said: ‘We realize the extent of the difficulty that the Palestinian people have been subjected to for years due to the Israeli occupation, and we are pressuring the Swedish government to reverse its decision to stop freezing development aid to the Palestinian people.’
He said: “We put pressure on the government to reverse its final decisions, stressing that the Swedish public position is supportive of the Palestinian people.”
In this context, Bser stressed the need to continue funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees (UNRWA) and support it to continue its work, as it is the institution most cap
able of providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, adding that considering Israel’s claims regarding it do not justify cutting off humanitarian aid to millions of civilians in the Strip.
Bser stressed the important relationship that has united the Swedish Socialist Party and the Fatah movement for decades, indicating that its goal is to support peace, establish a Palestinian state, and end the Israeli occupation.
“Today we are in the city of Ramallah to meet with officials in the Fatah movement, which is currently facing difficult circumstances due to the Israeli occupation and its policies, to work to develop this historical relationship. We pledge to work to support this movement in order to achieve peace, ending the Israeli occupation, and stopping the colonizers’ attacks,” he said.
Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA