Israeli authorities have stripped the accreditation of Norwegian diplomats assigned to contacts with the Palestinian side. In response to this decision, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated that Israel's move would be met with consequences.
After being recognized by Norway independence of Palestine in May of this year, Oslo had diplomatic representatives in the PA capital, Ramallah. Their main tasks were to coordinate humanitarian aid and organize medical support for residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel decided that he would not treat them as representatives of Norwegian diplomacy.
– We do not know the reasons why the Israeli side made such a decision today. The highest-ranking representative of the Israeli embassy, ​​summoned immediately, was unable to answer what the local administration was guided by. He asked for time to consult on the matter with his superiors in Jerusalem – said the head of Norwegian diplomacy Espen Barth Eide during a press conference called suddenly.
“The government in Jerusalem can be sure of appropriate steps”
Israel withdrew its ambassador from Oslo after Norway, together with Spain and Irelandrecognized the independence of the Palestinian Authority. Relations between the countries deteriorated even further after the Norwegian side introduced sanctions against Israeli extremists who used violence against residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In addition, Oslo strongly protests against the government's conduct Benjamin Netanyahu settlement activities in the territories of the Palestinian Authority, deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“We are committed to conducting both political and humanitarian activities with our partners in the West Bank. Understandably, this cannot be conducted in a normal manner at the moment,” Eide said.
“However, we have managed in even more difficult circumstances in the past, so we will also find a way out of the situation caused by the Netanyahu government. At the same time, the government in Jerusalem can be sure of appropriate steps on our part. I cannot provide details at the moment, but we are working on these decisions,” he declared.
Norway has played a key role in the Middle East peace process for years. In 1993, the Oslo Accords were negotiated between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel, which established Palestinian Authority. Israeli and Palestinian leaders Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for these efforts.
Since October 2023, when Israel launched its military operation against the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Norway has consistently condemned the Netanyahu government for the actions of Israeli forces, which it believes violate international law.
Main image source: Sven Hoppe/PAP