Sweden Election 2026: What a Change in Government Means for Israel-Palestine Policy
- Sweden goes to the polls on September 13, 2026, with the two main blocs separated by just over 2 percentage points in the latest survey
- The far-right Sweden Democrats, currently propping up the right-wing government, have demanded that Sweden withdraw its 2014 recognition of Palestine
- The left-wing bloc leads in polling and has pledged to resume UNRWA funding, with some parties pushing to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel
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Sweden heads to the polls on September 13, 2026, in a general election that could significantly reshape the country's foreign policy on the Israel-Palestine conflict, with the two main political blocs sharply divided on the issue.
A Novus survey published on Monday put support for the left-wing coalition at 50.3 per cent, compared with 47.9 per cent for the current right-wing government, setting the stage for a tight contest.
Source: Getty Images
According to Al Jazeera, Sweden has long been a notable actor in the conflict. In 2014, it became the first European Union member state to formally recognise Palestine, a decision that drew a sharp rebuke from Israel. Then Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said at the time that Sweden did not understand that relations in the Middle East were more complicated than assembling IKEA furniture.
The country's involvement dates back even further: Swedish diplomat Count Folke Bernadotte, the United Nations' first mediator for Palestine, was killed in Jerusalem in 1948 by the Zionist paramilitary group Lehi, also known as the Stern Gang.
Four decades on, Sweden hosted talks in Stockholm between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and prominent American Jewish figures, a meeting that paved the way for Washington to open dialogue with the Palestine Liberation Organization.
What a right-wing victory could mean
The current government, led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of the Moderates, does not consider Israel's conduct in Gaza to constitute genocide and has not joined South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
It suspended funding to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, after Israel alleged that some agency staff participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, later resumed it, and then ended core funding in December 2024. In December 2025, the government allocated about $83 million to humanitarian efforts in Gaza and the wider region for 2026, channelled outside UNRWA.
The Sweden Democrats, the Nordic country's second-largest party with neo-Nazii roots, are the most stridently pro-Israel force in the bloc. Their leader, Jimmie Akesson, said in January that he would push to revoke Sweden's recognition of Palestine in any coalition talks.
The party has also called for the Swedish embassy to be moved to Jerusalem and for all Swedish aid to Palestinians to be ended. Zina al-Dewany, a political commentator and editorial writer for the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, told Al Jazeera that recognition could realistically be withdrawn, noting that foreign policy in Sweden is decided by the government rather than parliament, meaning no parliamentary vote would be required.
What a left-wing victory could mean
The left-wing bloc, which includes the Social Democrats, the Left Party and the Greens, has aligned on resuming UNRWA funding. The Left Party and Greens have both called for Sweden to join the ICJ genocide case.
Anfal Mahdi, an opposition councillor in Malmo, told Al Jazeera: "If the left bloc comes to power, you will see a trade boycott of Israel, more money to UNRWA, and we want more funding to the ICC."
The Social Democrats, Sweden's dominant party for most of the past century, have taken a more cautious line, focusing on targeted sanctions against Israeli officials and settlement goods rather than broader measures.
Sweden releases list of 5 conditions foreigners must meet
Legit.ng earlier reported that The Swedish government has released the five conditions that foreign nationals must fulfil to be granted a residence permit for studies in Sweden in 2026.
The requirements were published by the Swedish Migration Agency and apply to students seeking to pursue higher education or other accredited programmes in Sweden.
Source: Legit.ng
