Norway: From Mediator to Persecutor of Israel

Once upon a time, a magic kingdom called Norway used its great oil and gas wealth to help mediate conflicts. As a neutral party, with the money to convene meetings and negotiations and bring all parties together, Norway served the cause of peace.

The Oslo Accords of 1993 and 1995 are an example of Norway’s efforts, bringing Israelis and Palestinians together. There were many others, and I was privileged to see the Norwegians working diligently to seek an arrangement between the Maduro regime in Venezuela and opposition forces there that would have put Venezuela on a path back to democracy. The Norwegians acted in good faith, without prejudice, and constructively, although it was obvious that as people living in a democracy they understood the evil of the Maduro regime. Their diplomats were consummate professionals.

But prejudice, passions, and domestic politics have now led Norway to join the attacks on Israel in every way they can. At least since leftist parties took power in Norway, and even more since Espen Barth Eide became foreign minister last October, its previously balanced relationship with Israel has been replaced with sheer hostility. Norway joined Spain and Ireland in May to recognize Palestine as an independent state. Moreover, it was the first European country to jump when the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court moved against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant, with Eide saying Norway would arrest the two men if they set foot there after warrants were issued by the ICC. In July Norway joined South Africa in its ICC case against Israel, filing a submission with the Court.

Israel has reacted by refusing a visit by Eide, and by revoking the diplomatic status of 8 Norwegian diplomats who worked as representatives to the Palestinian Authority.

What has Norway gained? Eide and leftist parties have played to the galleries, no doubt, taking performative stances that must give satisfaction to those braying against Israel and perhaps solidified their support for the ruling coalition. But what has this done for Norway? The effect is to destroy decades of effort by Norway on Israeli-Palestinian issues.  Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the inevitable conclusion:

The policy of the Norwegian government towards Israel since the brutal attacks by Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, the Houthis and others against Israel is extreme, one-sided and anti-Israel.

The Norwegian government - which only last week chose to support the baseless case against Israel at the ICC, recognized a Palestinian state, and even today, exactly ten months after the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, refuses to recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization - has lost Israel's trust and the special role it has played since the Oslo Accords.

This extremist policy of the Norwegian government prevents it from having the capability to continue to be a partner in discussions or activities with Israel on the Palestinian issue. Norway has abandoned its role as a neutral diplomatic actor trying to find peaceful solutions—at least when it comes to the Jewish State.

The web site of Norway’s foreign ministry says “For several decades, Norway has been engaged in a number of peace processes. Promoting conflict resolution and reconciliation is a key aspect of Norwegian foreign policy.” An exception has now been made for the Jewish State.

Here, it has joined the jackals. Perhaps a change in government will someday mean an effort to restore balance and common sense to Norway’s diplomacy, but the damage has been done. When it comes to Israel, Norway has switched sides. In the aftermath of the brutal, inhuman attacks of October 7^th and the Hamas attacks since, in the face of the Hezbollah attacks that have depopulated northern Israel, at a moment when the Iranian assault of April 14 seems likely to be followed soon by an even larger attack, Norway has abandoned “conflict resolution” and made common cause with Israel’s enemies.