There's this classic recurring scene in the Peanuts comic strip in which Lucy holds the football for Charlie Brown to kick, only to pull it away at the very last second, causing him to fall flat on his face in utter frustration and embarrassment. This happens week after week despite Lucy's promises. Each and every time, Charlie Brown walks away cursing himself for falling for the same trick. As I read Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's response to Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom's latest doozy, I wondered whether he was cursing himself for going for the kick or if he had just yet to get wise to her game of political savagery. The remark Netanyahu was commenting on was one she made in the Swedish parliament this past Friday, during a scheduled debate in chambers. Wallstrom said that Israel was executing Palestinian knife attackers and that Israel's response to a wave of Palestinian stabbings and car-ramming attacks was "disproportionate," suggesting that the deaths of many attackers during their terror attacks were comparable to "extrajudicial executions." "And likewise, the response must not be of the kind -- and this is what I say in other situations where the response is such that it results in extrajudicial executions or is disproportionate in that the number of people killed on that side exceeds the original number of deaths many times over," she was quoted as saying in the official English transcript released to Reuters by her office. This was not the first time we played this game. It has become par for the course for Wallstrom and the government she represents to trash-talk Israel in every way possible and for Israel to respond with the expected outrage. I say expected Wallstrom's actions are truly outrageous, but the question is not whether the response is warranted, but rather if it makes political sense. When Margot Wallstrom entered office, she laid out her lofty mission -- to create a "feminist foreign policy" and make Sweden a leader in Middle East affairs. She had been a rising star under Prime Minister Olof Palme, she became an international name in the European Parliament, and now it was her time to shine, and by doing so bring glory to her party, the Social Democrats. As we all know by now, that didn't happen. From the moment she entered office, Wallstrom dropped more bombs than a B-52, but with little afterthought and even less precision. Her first mishap was an international incident sparked after she lectured the Saudis on feminism, almost crippling the Swedish export industry. It was only when the Swedish king stepped in and offered an official apology that the matter was resolved. Since then, her lack of diplomatic savvy has been outdone only by her complete lack of insight into Middle East politics and history. Making numerous borderline anti-Semitic remarks, going on record with outright lies and insulting foreign leaders would have gotten most politicians fired, but Wallstrom has her prime minister's unwavering support, as well as that of her party. This makes sense for a government whose entire foreign policy boils down to recognizing Palestine, and every action going forward is focused on justifying that move. But I believe there is plenty more to that story. Attacking Israel is a safe bet in Sweden. It may not be pretty, but it's a fact. Playing the righteous underdog in the face of a perceived evil generates many political points in Sweden, where the anti-Israel bias is systemic. For a failing Social Democratic government, this formula is the proverbial ace in the hole. Israel is being played for a reaction, and every time it steps up to kick the ball, as Lucy grins from ear to ear with the glee of the wicked. What Israel forgets, however, is the small but crucial fact that Sweden is of little consequence to anyone, least of all to Israel. With every condemnation, every diplomatic contact, Israel awards Sweden credibility that it does not deserve, and that Israel itself is unable to summon. It is a waste of energy and a kick in the air just to land on one's face. Wallstrom will keep at her game, partially because she despises our state and partially because it is working. One of those things is beyond our control, but we can change the other. Israel is a small country housing a great nation, and should not be rattled by this tiny dog with its loud, annoying bark. It should know better than to engage in one desperate government's elaborate game of misdirection. Annika Hernroth-Rothstein is a political adviser, activist and writer on the Middle East, religious affairs and global anti-Semitism. Follow her on Twitter @truthandfiction.
Pandering to the peanut gallery
מערכת ישראל היום
מערכת "ישראל היום“ מפיקה ומעדכנת תכנים חדשותיים, מבזקים ופרשנויות לאורך כל שעות היממה. התוכן נערך בקפדנות, נבדק עובדתית ומוגש לציבור מתוך האמונה שהקוראים ראויים לעיתונות טובה יותר - אמינה, אובייקטיבית ועניינית.
