The canary bird from Aspö

Last week a very dear friend of Israel passed away in Sweden.

Ralph Haglund, another friend of Israel in Sweden,

wrote a necrology for her, whose English translation is brought below

 

Karin Rebel, from Aspö in Blekinge, southeastern Sweden, her decease occurred very suddenly and unexpectedly on the 16th of July 2011, at an age approaching 80, and I experienced the chock wave from the news a few hours later.

I met Karin maybe a decade ago in Stockholm at a pro-Israeli meeting and we were soon in deep conversation, as we were both engaged in the discussions about promoting information about Israel. After that we only met once, on her little island in the archipelago, where I saw the small romantic yellow cottage situated as a perfect work place for an author.

We have brought upon us the duty to inform about Israel as this information is very limited in Swedish media except as reflections in joking mirrors. Known spokesmen for Israel have compared Israel's role as the canary bird for the West, with the canaries of mines, warning for poison gases. With today's attacks on the land and people of Israel for no discernible reasons, the canary of Israel gives very strong Danger signals. Karin has written and given information to high and low, the radio program Call P1 was more and more often contacting her in Israel-related questions. She was also monitoring the local media where some local anti-democracy spokesmen got free rein.

We discussed many of the hard facts and showed how the local media had no knowledge at all about international laws and negotiation results, or alternatively did not care.

Karin loved to make long distance exploratory travels, everything from art tours to museums in Mexico to safaris in Africa.  During her marriage she also lived an international life in a few different countries and got much linguistic knowledge and experience.

One of our latest subjects of discussion was her memories from her childhood on the island of Aspö, how people lived far from shops, on their own farming and fishing. I have often speculated over such things as my mother was also born in a small cottage far into the forest of central Sweden - a life not possible to grasp for us with no experience of it, only stories.

The knowledgeable voice and sharp pen of Karin will be remembered by the emptiness, missed by family and friends and many of the pro-Israeli information groups of Sweden.

The funeral has occurred with the nearest of the family members.

Ralph Haglund, Lund