For years, many Arab politicians and analysts had argued that Europe, in contrast to the United States, could play a more balanced role in solving the Middle East conflict. They concluded that if it wasn't for US hegemony and unilateralism in the region, European impartiality and adherence to international laws and conventions could have forced Israel's hands into accepting a just settlement of the Arab-Israel dispute.
A diplomatic row between Sweden and Israel has intensified, with Israeli politicians urging Stockholm to condemn a newspaper article they have described as "blood libel".