EU's association agreement with Israel

The plan binds the party to consistently defend international law and is critical of trade agreements that favour the interests of capital over rights. To suspend trade privileges that strengthen the economic base of an occupation is an application of that principle. The plan does not address the association agreement as such, but gives no support for letting the privileges remain.

• defend international lawdecisive»Folkrätten behöver försvaras« (party programme ↗)“International law needs to be defended”
• criticism of trade agreements»mot handelsavtal som inskränker utrymmet för« (party programme ↗)“against trade agreements that limit the scope for”
• voice for peace and justice»Vänsterpartiet anser att Sverige ska vara en röst för fred och rättvisa, inte för ökad militarisering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party believes that Sweden should be a voice for peace and justice, not for increased militarisation.”
• counter breaches of international law»Genom FN får även små länder en röst och starka militärmakters brott mot internationell lag kan uppmärksammas och motverkas.« (party programme ↗)“Through the UN, even small countries get a voice and powerful military states' breaches of international law can be highlighted and opposed.”

The plan says nothing about suspending an existing association agreement, but it makes clear that trade agreements shall be guided by human rights and that international law and a rules-based world order shall be defended. To let trade benefits continue to apply an occupation policy that contravenes international law goes against that connection. At the same time the plan safeguards open and free trade, so the support is uncertain.

• trade guided by human rightsdecisive»EU behöver sluta fler handelsavtal där också våra värderingar om social dialog, mänskliga rättigheter och miljö är vägledande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The EU needs to conclude more trade agreements where also our values about social dialogue, human rights and environment are guiding.”
• defence of international law»Försvar för folkrätten och en regelbaserad världsordning.« (party programme ↗)“Defence of international law and a rules-based world order.”
• no impunity for violations of international law»Ingen straffrihet för folkmord, krigsförbrytelser och brott mot mänskligheten.« (party programme ↗)“No impunity for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
• open and free trade»Vi står upp för en öppen, fri och rättvis handel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We stand up for an open, free and fair trade.”

The party programme requires that Sweden acts consistently for Israel's occupation to end and that trade policy is used as a tool for human rights and international law. To push for the suspension of the EU's association agreement is such consistent action against the occupation's economic base. The agreement is not mentioned explicitly, therefore derivation from these commitments.

• the occupation shall enddecisive»Israels ockupation upphör, så att en rättvis och hållbar fred kan åstadkommas.« (party programme ↗)“Israel's occupation ends, so that a just and sustainable peace can be achieved.”
• trade policy as human rights tool»fattigdomsbekämpning, främjande av mänskliga rättigheter, fredliga samarbeten,« (party programme ↗)“poverty reduction, promotion of human rights, peaceful cooperation,”
• accountability for international law breaches»och verka för att öka ansvarsutkrävandet för brott mot folkrätten« (party programme ↗)“and work to increase accountability for violations of international law”
• the international community must intervene»Omvärldens oförmåga att ingripa mot Israels folkmord i Gaza har allvarligt skadat« (party programme ↗)“The international community's inability to intervene against Israel's genocide in Gaza has seriously damaged”

Free trade is a bearing principle in the plan: the election manifesto establishes that Sweden cannot manage without free trade, and the party programme that tariffs and trade barriers limit both consumers and producers and that the solution is not to raise new barriers between countries. An immediate suspension of the association agreement is precisely such a trade barrier. The plan's way is instead harder requirements on conditions in trade agreements. The plan therefore rejects the counter-proposal.

• free trade as main linedecisive»Sverige klarar sig inte utan frihandel. Öppna upp fler marknader för svenska varor och tjänster.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden cannot manage without free trade. Open up more markets for Swedish goods and services.”
• against trade barriers»Tullar och handelshinder begränsar konsumenters och producenters val.« (party programme ↗)“Tariffs and trade barriers limit consumers' and producers' choice.”
• no new barriers»Lösningen är inte att resa nya barriärer mellan länder« (party programme ↗)“The solution is not to raise new barriers between countries”
• conditions instead of treaty breach»Ställ hårdare krav på arbetsvillkor, miljö och klimat i handelsavtal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Set harder requirements on working conditions, environment and climate in trade agreements.”

The counter-proposal demands that the trade agreement with Israel be immediately suspended. The plan's decisive commitment is to strengthen the EU as a free-trade union and be a strong voice for free trade with the goal of dismantling tariffs and trade barriers. The plan pursues rights issues through a values-driven foreign policy rather than by tearing up trade agreements, which speaks against the demand.

• free trade and more trade agreementsdecisive»Vi ska stärka EU som frihandelsunion med en fördjupad inre marknad, värna den fria rörligheten i Europa och verka för fler frihandelsavtal med omvärlden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall strengthen the EU as a free-trade union with a deepened internal market, protect free movement in Europe and work for more free-trade agreements with the wider world.”
• strong voice for free trade»Sverige ska vara en stark röst för frihandel, i första hand genom globala avtal men annars« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall be a strong voice for free trade, primarily through global agreements but otherwise”
• freedoms and rights and free trade»Därför vill vi att Sverige gör mycket mer, både som enskilt land och inom internationella samarbeten, för fri- och rättigheter, frihandel, fria val och samarbete i den fria världen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we wish Sweden to do much more, both as an individual country and within international cooperation, for freedoms and rights, free trade, free elections and cooperation in the free world.”

The plan explicitly states that positive instruments such as financial support, cooperation projects and dialogue shall be used first and that boycotts and sanctions first as a last resort can become current. An immediately suspended trade agreement is the opposite of that order, and the plan also sees freer world trade with fairer rules as a means for development. The counter-proposal's demands therefore conflict with the plan's choice of methods.

• positive means firstdecisive»i första hand positiva verkningsmedel användas« (party programme ↗)“first and foremost positive instruments shall be used”
• sanctions as last resort»Som en sista utväg kan bojkott och sanktioner bli aktuella.« (party programme ↗)“As a last resort, boycotts and sanctions can become current.”
• freer world trade»rättvisare spelregler är en förutsättning för att klyftorna ska kunna minska« (party programme ↗)“fairer rules are a prerequisite for the gaps to be able to narrow”
• bilateral human rights dialogue»En dialog om mänskliga rättigheter bör även föras bilateralt med enskilda länder.« (party programme ↗)“A dialogue on human rights should also be conducted bilaterally with individual countries.”

The plan wants to deepen the internal market and facilitate trade, and establishes that foreign policy should protect Swedish interests and that trade matters are handled jointly in the EU. Immediately suspending an association and trade agreement is the opposite of the trade line. The conflict as such is not addressed in the documents, so the position is derived from trade and foreign policy principles.

• free trade as principledecisive»underlätta för handel och internationalisering.« (party programme ↗)“facilitate trade and internationalization.”
• Swedish interests guideweak support»Svensk utrikespolitik ska värna svenska intressen.« (party programme ↗)“Swedish foreign policy should protect Swedish interests.”
• trade is handled in the EU»EU:s fokus ska ligga på att lösa problem som Sverige inte kan hantera ensamt, till exempel handel, klimat, migration och säkerhet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The EU's focus should be on solving problems that Sweden cannot handle alone, such as trade, climate, migration and security.”
• trade creates development»marknadsekonomi och handel« (party programme ↗)“market economy and trade”

flags: citat_svagt

The plan explicitly states that the relationship with Israel, as the only democracy in its region, should be re-established and maintained. Driving an immediate suspension of the EU's trade agreement with Israel is the exact opposite and also contradicts the plan's trade-friendly basic stance and the ambition to improve Sweden's position in trade. The sanctions the plan advocates are directed at other countries.

• maintain relationship with Israeldecisive»Relationen till Israel, som den enda demokratin i sin region, bör återupprättas och vårdas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The relationship with Israel, as the only democracy in its region, should be re-established and maintained.”
• free trade as starting point»Sverigedemokraterna är i grunden positiva till frihandel« (party programme ↗)“the Sweden Democrats are fundamentally positive to free trade”
• strengthened trade position»Förbättra Sveriges ställning på den internationella marknaden och i handel« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Improve Sweden's position on the international market and in trade”
• sanctions directed at other states»Sverige bör verka för tydliga sanktioner mot Turkiet, Belarus, Ryssland och andra länder med en negativ utveckling.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should work for clear sanctions against Turkey, Belarus, Russia and other countries with negative developments.”