Norway – The Norwegian government announced that the decision of its Israeli counterpart to cancel the accreditation of its diplomatic representatives to Palestine “will have consequences regarding bilateral relations.”
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the Israeli decision was an “extremist act” that affected his country’s ability to help the Palestinian people.
In a statement published yesterday, Thursday, Eide explained that the decision reveals the active work of the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the two-state solution to the conflict.
He pointed out that Norway is clear in its criticism of the occupation of Gaza and the tragedies suffered by Palestinian civilians (due to Israeli attacks).
He added, “The decision taken yesterday, Thursday, will have consequences regarding our relations with the Netanyahu government.”
He stressed that the Norwegian government is currently studying the nature of the measures it will take to respond to this situation created by the Netanyahu government.
Eide stressed that the obstruction of diplomats’ work was a “dangerous situation”, and that Norway’s main priority was peace and “finding a diplomatic solution to the conflicts in the Middle East”.
On Thursday, Israel informed the Oslo embassy in Israel that it was revoking the diplomatic status of Norwegian officials working in their country’s representative office to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
“The Israeli Foreign Ministry extends its best regards to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway and would like to point out the biased policies and statements of the Kingdom of Norway, following the heinous attack on Israel on October 7, 2023,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a letter to the Norwegian Embassy in Israel.
The letter, a copy of which was sent to Anadolu Agency, added: “Under these circumstances, the ministry informs the embassy that Israel will no longer facilitate Norway’s representation to the Palestinian Authority. Consequently, Israel will not accredit Norwegian diplomats in Israel, if they are sent to work in the Norwegian representative office to the Palestinian Authority.”
Norway has a diplomatic representation office in Ramallah in the West Bank, but access to the West Bank requires passing through Israeli crossings.
The Foreign Ministry continued in its letter: “The diplomatic status in Israel of Norwegian officials working in the Norwegian Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority will be cancelled 7 days after the date of this memorandum,” dated Thursday.
She added: “In addition, their current visas to Israel will be valid for 3 months from the date of this memorandum.”
On Wednesday, the private Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth revealed that Israel had cancelled an agreement under which Palestinian tax funds, known as “clearance,” would be transferred to Norway.
She pointed out that the decision “came as a countermeasure to the steps taken recently by Norway, such as recognizing an independent Palestinian state last May.”
According to the newspaper, “the Israeli decision was recently taken by the security cabinet, but it remained secret.”
Norway has submitted its opinion to the International Criminal Court stating that the “Oslo Accords” do not affect the jurisdiction to consider crimes committed against the Palestinian people, and that the court can issue arrest warrants against both Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant.
Last February, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry announced that it would undertake to deliver the clearance funds collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, which Tel Aviv stopped transferring to the Authority after October 7.
On May 28, Norway, Spain and Ireland announced their official recognition of the Palestinian state, followed on June 4 by Slovenia, bringing the total number of those recognizing it to 148 out of 193 member states of the United Nations General Assembly.
Anatolia
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2024-08-10 02:47:29
