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Recent relations have been less smooth. Sweden’s presidency plans included ambitions for an active EU role in the Middle East that Israel may not welcome. Early on, the Swedes ruffled Israeli feathers by calling the eviction of Palestinian families in east Jerusalem illegal under international law. Mr Netanyahu may have reasons of his own for stirring the pot. Next month will see a critical UN report on human-rights abuses during Israel’s war on Gaza at the turn of the year. Causing a stink about absurd Swedish allegations could usefully tire people of the subject and muddle the details when they come out.