Tel Aviv- Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced on 8 August its decision to revoke the diplomatic permits of eight Norwegian diplomats who are based in Tel Aviv and have had dealings with the Palestinian Authority (PA).
The move is a response to the “flurry of recent anti-Israel and unilateral steps taken [by] the government of Norway,” including recognition of Palestinian statehood and “severe comments by senior Norwegian officials.” Norwegian officials have condemned massacres committed by Israel against civilians in Gaza.
Norway’s ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry and told that the eight diplomats would have their diplomatic accreditation revoked in one week and their visas revoked in three months.
The ministry gave them the option of applying for new permits.
“There is a price for anti-Israeli conduct. Instead of fighting Palestinian terrorism after October 7 and supporting Israel’s fight against the Iranian axis of evil – Norway chose to award the murderers and rapists of Hamas in the form of recognition of a Palestinian state,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
Norway also joined “the unfounded lawsuit against us at the ICC,” Katz added. “Norway conducts a unilateral policy on the Palestinian issue – therefore I ordered the termination of any representation toward the Palestinian Authority on behalf of the Norwegian embassy in Israel. Those who attack us and conduct a unilateral policy against us will pay a price.”
Israel has also halted the transfer of PA tax revenues to Norway, which was part of an agreement reached earlier this year that Oslo would administer Palestinian funds to Ramallah. The finance ministry had been withholding these funds over claims that money earmarked for services in Gaza could be exploited by Hamas.
“Norway was the first to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state today, so it cannot be a partner in anything related to Judea and Samaria [the occupied West Bank]. I intend to stop transferring funds to Norway and demand the return of all funds that were transferred,” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Wednesday.
Alongside Spain and Ireland, the Norwegian government officially recognized Palestinian statehood in late May.
Israel authorized five illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and approved sanctions against the PA in June, with the Israeli finance ministry publicly announcing the move as retribution for international recognition of Palestine as a state. “The Security Cabinet authorized one outpost for every country that unilaterally recognized Palestine as a state,” Smotrich said at the time.
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