On Saturday afternoon, Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, posted this post on X: Photo: Skjermdump / X “Wishing in the Norwegian fjords while he works to establish an Iranian- and Hamas-run terrorist state that threatens Israel’s existence. Jonas Gahr Støre, that’s not going to happen,” writes Katz. Soon 115,000 have seen the post, and more than 1,000 have liked it. Kåre Aas was Norway’s ambassador in Tel Aviv from 2020 to 2023. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB – I did not expect this from Katz, it is very unfortunate. I would like to think that it is more domestically motivated than anything else, says former ambassador in Tel Aviv, Kåre Aas. He has always experienced the Israelis as “liberating”, direct and outspoken, but believes that the rhetoric they have used against Norway recently “is getting too harsh”. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will not comment on the post. Norway owes anti-Semitism The post is the latest in a series of thundering accusations from the Israeli government. Norway is not alone in criticizing Israel’s warfare in Gaza, or the occupation of Palestinian territory. The EU, UN and several Arab and Muslim countries have done the same. – Nevertheless, it seems that Israel has made Norway the main representative of what they see as a critical wing in Europe, says senior researcher Jørgen Jensehaugen at the Institute for Peace Research (Prio). AFP Norway and Israel since May The Norwegian government is becoming increasingly tight-lipped with Israel when it comes to the war in the Gaza Strip and the occupation of Palestinian territory. Israel punishes Norway, both in word and deed. Swipe to read more. Cicilie Sigrid Andersen / news Interpreted Palestine recognition as terrorist support23. In May, Jonas Gahr Støre announced that Norway would recognize Palestine as its own state. – A very sad blink of an eye for the relationship between Israel and Norway, was the response of Israel’s ambassador to the country. Netanyahu blamed Norway for rewarding terror, and bringing home the ambassador. AFP Promised more consequences In the days that followed Israel promised more consequences for Norway. – They decided to give a gold medal to the murderers and rapists in Hamas. We want to show them what a twisted decision their government has taken, said Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Unknown Espen Barth Eide is unwanted in Israel In July, Espen Barth Eide was declared unwanted in Israel. – I have registered that Norway’s foreign minister wants to visit Israel, and to that I just have to say that he is not welcome, said David Mencer, press chief for Netanyahu. – Norway, we have enough Jew-haters locally in Hamas in Gaza. We don’t need to import their supporting players from abroad, he added. Eirik Pessl-Kleiven / news Clearly against Israeli annexation In July, the International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ) ruled that Israel violated international law when it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and called it annexation. Espen Barth Eide has been harsh in his use of words when he refers to the occupation. He has said that Israel “put itself completely on the side of international law” in its policy. AP Send letter to ICCI In August, the government sent a letter to the International Criminal Court (ICC) which caused Israel to see red. Several countries believed that the ICC cannot issue arrest warrants for Israeli heads of state, because Israel is not a member of the court. The government wrote, as a party to the Oslo Agreement, that it is up to the court itself to assess who they want to prosecute. AFP Withdraw diplomatic status Israel responded by removing the diplomatic status of those who worked at Norway’s representative office in Al-Ram on the West Bank. In practice, the office functioned as an embassy, and was important in providing assistance to Palestinians as well as in the work for a two-state solution. – Those who attacked us will have to pay a price, said Israel Katz. news Call the Israeli government further – I only get more inspired to work for a Palestinian state by the kind of reactions that the Netanyahu government comes up with, was Eide’s comment when the Norwegian government was forced to close the office in Al-Ram. He called the government “the most far-reaching in Israel’s history”. It mostly concerns statements in which Norway is blamed for pursuing an anti-Semitic policy. But they have also punished Norway politically, by declaring Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide unwelcome in Israel, and in practice expelling Norwegian diplomats from Norway’s “embassy” on the West Bank. – It has really escalated on Israel’s part, says Jensehaugen. He believes that the statements from the Israeli government are sometimes rather unfair, but that it is worrying that they are followed up by political actions. David Mencer, spokesman for Benjamin Netanyahu, in July. Need an enemy Israel is in tough international weather these days. The governing authorities are under investigation for genocide on the Gaza Strip in the International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ) The ICJ has determined that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem is annexation and a violation of international law A prosecutor in the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested an arrest warrant for both Netanyahu and the Hamas leaders – Large parts of the world are losing the sympathy they once had with Israel, because of the war in Gaza. Then it’s nice to have a protection mechanism in the form of an enemy, says Jensehaugen. The more the Israeli government manages to present Norway’s criticism as an example that the whole world is against Israel, the more they can disarm the criticism they receive, the researcher believes. – But it is reprehensible that they drive that line, when they know full well that Norway neither hates Jews nor is anti-Semitic, says former ambassador Kåre Aas. Eide has blamed the Netanyahu government for using anti-Semitism as protection against all criticism, and says it no longer works. Everyone loses a little. Aas thinks Israel would have liked to have a different attitude towards Norway, despite the different views on the conflict in the Middle East. – But it is primarily the Palestinians who lose from this. They, and everyone who wants to find a political solution and a ceasefire agreement, he says. Jensehaugen believes that Norway is also losing a part – but that it would have been a form of loss regardless of what the Norwegian government had done now. – Norway’s role in a theoretical peace process is becoming more difficult, the same applies to the role we have had as aid coordinator for the Palestinians. Norway has long tread very carefully and let Israel dictate the rules of the game, in order to be allowed to help the Palestinians. Jørgen Jensehaugen believes that everyone loses a little that the relationship between Norway and Israel is as bad as it is now. Photo: ISMAIL BURAK AKKAN / news Nevertheless, the situation for the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank has worsened. It is therefore up to the government to be clearer about what they think about Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory and warfare in the Gaza Strip, Eide has previously told news. – Should we maintain a falling ship, or should we take tougher political measures for things to improve? The latter could trigger such a harsh punishment from Israel that things get worse for the Palestinians anyway. It is an incredibly difficult dilemma, says Jensehaugen. Could Norway have been more generous? Norway has condemned the terrorist attack against Israel on 7 October 2023, which was planned and carried out by several Islamist jihadist groups, including Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip. But the government hesitated a little. Jonas Gahr Støre spent four days establishing that this was a terrorist attack, carried out by a terrorist organisation. Memorial on the square where the Nova festival was held on 7 October 2023. Jihadists killed several young festival participants in the bloodiest attack on Israeli soil. Photo: Florion Goga / Reuters The Israeli government has blamed the Norwegian government for not having condemned the attack at all, even if this is not true. – We cannot ignore the fact that Norway was too late here. The Israelis may be aware that we have not had the same response as other European countries. They probably wonder if Norway takes their security challenges seriously, believes former ambassador Aas. Would Israel have met Norway differently if the government had carried out the same policy, but wrapped it in more sympathy for the Israelis? Jensehaugen doesn’t think so. – No. Here we have an Israeli government that is so screwed up that they would react sharply no matter what kind of language package was used, he says. Interested in foreign material? Listen to the foreign affairs editor’s podcast, Urix: Published 25.08.2024, at 20.36
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Israel’s foreign minister says Støre works for a terrorist state ruled by Hamas and Iran – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
