The Swedish Foreign Minister and the EAPPI Vest
Two Swedish Ecumenical Accompaniers had unprecedented access to their own foreign minister on his recent visit to the West Bank.
They also spoke to a top Swedish press officer – who complimented them on the EAPPI programme – and gave interviews to three Swedish newspapers and Swedish radio.
Maria Gerhardsson Stål and Jacob Risberg, currently serving on the EAPPI programme in Jayyous and Yanoun, went to Hebron where they were joined by Jerusalem Staff, Pauline Nunu and Anja Reichel, and met Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt.
Mr Bildt, who was on a two-and-a-half day visit to the occupied West Bank, visited the Ibrahimi Mosque in the company of Swedish and Palestinian officials and representatives of from TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron) as well as the EAs.
The mosque – which became notorious when an Israeli settler murdered 29 Muslims at prayer there in 1994 – is sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians.
Jacob seized the chance to speak to Mr Bildt when none of his own officials seemed to know why the mosque is so important. He explained that Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah are all said to be buried there. The ice was broken and conversation about the EAPPI programme began.
Meanwhile Maria told Mr. Anders Jörle, Head of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' Press Service, about the EAPPI programme. He said the EAs were doing “something important” for Palestinians.
The dignitaries posed for pictures with the EAs and Mr Bildt seemed most impressed that Maria got up at 4 o’clock some mornings to monitor checkpoints.
The EAs told the visitors that the project in Hebron consisted mainly of accompanying Palestinian children to school because they are often attacked verbally and physically by violent Israeli settler children.
They also gave a rundown on the work in Jayyous where farmers are often prevented from crossing the illegal Separation Barrier to reach their olive groves and in Yanoun where the EAs’ presence encourages villagers to stay put and not abandon their homes to violent settlers living on the hill above them.
Then the whole delegation walked through the check point leading into the old city. Mr. Bildt saw the “ghost” streets, with all the closed shops and nets above the streets protecting pedestrians from rubbish thrown down from Jewish settlements.
Jacob, who gave the four media interviews, asked Mr Bildt if his trip was the beginning of a new Swedish policy of fuller engagement with the Palestinian Authority. The minister replied that Sweden wants to have a good relationship with both sides. The visit ended with Jacob presenting Mr. Bildt with an EAPPI vest which was gladly accepted.
The EAs are mentioned in:
www.dagen.se/dagen/Article.aspx
and:
www.svd.se/nyheter/utrikes/artikel_1119635.svd
