Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu cautioned Sweden on Sunday that it was damaging any chance for peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, rather than helping the process.
The warning came in reference to Sweden’s decision to aid and abet the Palestinian Authority as it attempts to evade its obligations under the Oslo Accords and instead win recognition as a sovereign country directly from member nations of the United Nations.
The statement comes in response to an announcement Friday by Sweden’s prime minister to his cabinet, saying his country would become the first to officially recognize the “state of Palestine.”
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Sweden’s ambassador to Israel over the statement, requesting his presence in the Jerusalem offices.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, meanwhile, said, “Unilateral moves such as these only reduce the potential for a diplomatic settlement,” adding that such measures are “contrary to the [Oslo] agreements.
“They do not bring peace any closer, but detract from it,” Netanyahu said. “An agreement will only be achieved via negotiations that first and foremost serve Israel’s national interests and the security of her citizens.”