Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., August 25, 2009 Elul 5, 5769 | | Israel Time: 11:36 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Focus U.S.A. Travel Week's End Anglo File
Share |
Last update - 04:34 08/02/2009
Pro-Israel Swedish government worker fired for second time
By Cnaan Liphshiz
Tags: Israel News, Sweden

A Swedish government employee who last year won a wrongful-dismissal suit after being fired for supporting Israel, was recently fired again - for "insufficient performance."

In November last year, the Molndal District Court ruled that the Swedish Migration Board had no acceptable reason for firing Lennart Eriksson, 51, in September 2007 from his position as head of an assessment unit processing applications by asylum seekers.

Eriksson's boss, Eugene Palmer, told Eriksson that the reason for his 2007 dismissal was Eriksson's "unusual" support for Israel and the U.S., which he expressed on his private blog. Immediately after his dismissal, Eriksson was hired to fill a less senior position in the Migration Board. The court ruled that this did not constitute a demotion, but a dismissal and reengagement.
Advertisement
The court recommended Eriksson be reinstated to the more senior position, but the Board opted instead to pay Eriksson severance pay amounting to 32 salaries, as permitted by Swedish law.

But last month, Eriksson was fired from that position as well, for "insufficient abilities and performance." Eriksson - who has held various positions within the Board since 1988 - told Haaretz that he believes his dismissal was "a case of blatant political persecution."

Eriksson has sued the Board again, alleging that by firing him, the organization was in breach of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Swedish Constitution, the Law on Security of Employment and the court's previous ruling.

A spokesman for the Board, Johan Rahm, said that although Eriksson's boss gave the blog as the reason for his dismissal, his "performance charts were not good." When asked about his performance, Eriksson said: "I can only say I am not perfect. But if errors were the reason for my dismissal, why did they not say so in court?"

In court, the Board maintained that, "A government employee dealing with refugees mustn't comment on conflicts that generate asylum seekers." At the final hearing, the Board's attorney, Staffan Opitz, said Hamas should be considered a "liberation movement."

Queried by Haaretz, Swedish MP Gunnar Axen, who chairs the standing committee on social insurance, said: "Eriksson's dismissal is very strange. I have never seen such behavior from any Swedish authority."
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Militant diplomacy
Lieberman: Foreign Ministry should accept only ex-IDF soldiers as cadets.
Madoff 'dying'
New York Post: Madoff tells cellmates he has terminal cancer.
  1.   The Swedes don`t like Israel... 06:56  |  US CITIZEN 08/02/09
  2.   Declaration of Human Rights 07:54  |  A bien tot 08/02/09
  3.   No evident grounds 08:05  |  Truth 08/02/09
  4.   SWEDEN has gone mad.!! Think Malmo madmen! 08:32  |  PETER SM 08/02/09
  5.   Fair enough ! 08:55  |  Stefan Stahl 08/02/09
  6.   Pals, Israelis, and the Declaration of Human Rights 09:06  |  Brad 08/02/09
  7.   Swedes 09:59  |  MarkC 08/02/09
  8.   Nudity, gender equality, and Vodka- 10:50  |  Shtarka 08/02/09
  9.   Nudity, gender equality, and Vodka- 10:50  |  Shtarka 08/02/09
  10.   # 7 mark 11:51  |  Axel 08/02/09
  11.   Swedes -and the Nazi SS "Blue Division" 12:31  |  Arthur 08/02/09
  12.   Swedes still mad about the murder of Bernadotte 12:57  |  Dan 08/02/09
  13.   AXEL You can ignore the Moslem riots in Europe & call it peace 13:31  |  PETER SM 08/02/09
  14.   Brad # 6 14:05  |  Peter Mall 08/02/09
  15.   Brad 14:07  |  Palestinian Brit 08/02/09
  16.   The demografic issue 14:16  |  Ardi 08/02/09
  17.   Peter Mall, thanks for the laugh 10:01  |  Rina 09/02/09
  18.   Axel, my boy 11:00  |  JohnnyBoy 10/02/09
  19.   Rina 11:02  |  JohnnyBoy 10/02/09
  20.   Employment issue 11:09  |  Joseph 10/02/09
  21.   Swedish refugees in the furure 18:03  |  Hans 10/02/09
  22.   Response to Brad from Canada 20:59  |  Canadian 10/02/09
  23.   #6 Brad is correct. Gazans committed war crimes against Israel 05:43  |  David 15/02/09
  24.   # 21. Swedish refugees in the future 10:46  |  Bo 17/02/09
  25.   Volvo`s Are Not Selling 17:41  |  Ron 01/03/09
  26.   Joseph in London 18:49  |  Persian Kitty 01/03/09
  27.   Dan (#12) is right 03:52  |  Tom S 02/03/09
  28.   I think propaganda really works!!!!!! 17:10  |  Maria 13/03/09
  29.   #6 You`re so wrong. 17:17  |  Luay 13/03/09
  30.   Response to Canadian from Vancouver 23:31  |  Joe 30/03/09
  31.   Gideon Levy 09:43  |  Shani 25/08/09
Special Offers
Advertisement
Dead Sea Salt
From the Dead Sea Coupon cofe Haaretz for 10% off!
hotel Jerusalem
David Citadel Hotel, come stay at the finest of Jerusalem hotels.
Master's Program in Desert Studies
An innovative, multidisciplinary, international program specialized in Desert Research
Dead Sea Cosmetics .Summer Specials
Velvet Hand Cream just $14.90
Handmade In Tel Aviv
Itay Noy, Timepiece Maker
ISRAEL ARMY SURPLUS STORE
IDF insignia,Uniforms, Paladium Boots Watches, Israel Army T-shirts & Collectibles
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
More Headlines
10:13 Palestinian PM: We'll form de facto state by 2011
11:09 Netanyahu close to deal with Hamas to free Shalit
10:51 Former Israeli judge arrested in Peru on corruption charges
10:09 IDF strike on Gaza smuggling tunnel kills three Palestinians
10:09 U.S. says nearing renewal of Israel-Palestinian talks
10:09 Israeli TV broadcasts footage of Hamas men executing rebels
11:05 GAP opens first Israel store after three year delay
08:23 TV ROUND-UP: Gaza mortar fire, interest rates rise, Gap comes to Israel
10:19 'What does it matter that we're black?' ask Ethiopian students
09:14 Lieberman doesn't want IDF dodgers to be diplomats - but what about as spokesmen?
03:05 Israel's main source of water faces dire shortage
10:53 Israel central bank first in developed world to raise interest
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
| Israel 2009 election results | Makom: Engaging on Israel
| Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved