A Social Democratic Endeavor? Promoting International Legitimacy for the PLO and Facilitating the U.S.-PLO Dialogue.

Abstract

At the United Nations International Conference on the Question of Palestine (ICPQ) in Geneva, December 14, 1988, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasir Arafat explicitly renounced terrorism and accepted United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. These ‘magic words’ enabled a dialogue few had expected would happen; namely the one between the U.S. and the PLO. Although it was clear that Sweden, through the ‘quiet diplomacy’ of its foreign minister Sten Andersson had been central in facilitating that dialogue, few knew about the long road behind them being able to assume the role of facilitator. Why and how did Sweden become a central actor in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians? This thesis assesses Sweden's role in the international community through the framework of constructivism with an emphasis on norms and Sweden's role as norm entrepreneurs.