The Israeli government has expelled eight Norwegian diplomats, who served as Oslo’s interface with the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank, in a move condemned by European officials.
The order to deny diplomatic status to the Norwegians was issued by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Thursday. He cited Oslo’s recent recognition of Palestinian statehood and its support for a complaint against senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Through its policies “Norway chose to reward… murderers and rapists” instead of helping Israel fight “Palestinian terrorism” and “the Iranian axis of evil”, the minister stated, adding: “Norway has pursued a one-sided policy on the Palestinian issue and will therefore be excluded from any involvement in it.”
The Nordic nation formally recognized Palestine as a state in late May in a move coordinated with Ireland and Spain. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said the decision was “in support of moderate forces that are on a retreating front in a protracted and cruel conflict.”
The ICC case that Katz referred to relates to alleged war crimes committed by Israeli officials as well as leaders of the Palestinian group Hamas in the context of the militants’ raid on southern Israel last October, and Israel’s military response to it.
In May, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan issued arrest warrants against three Palestinians and two Israelis, the latter being Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The Norwegian government has said that since Oslo recognizes the court’s jurisdiction it would have to take the Israeli ministers into custody if they were to travel to the country.
The Norwegian diplomats were based in Tel Aviv and liaison with the PA, a body that is at odds with Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has described the targeting of his staff as “an extreme action that first and foremost affects our ability to help the Palestinian population.”
“Today’s decision will have consequences for our relationship with the Netanyahu government,” he warned. “Obstructing diplomats in their work is serious”.
The European Commission has expressed solidarity with Norway, which is not an EU member. In a statement on Thursday, Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, strongly condemned the Israeli decision and stressed that he did not consider the row to be a bilateral matter between the Jewish state and Oslo.