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Israel–Norway relations

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Israeli–Norwegian relations
Map indicating locations of Israel and Norway

Israel
Norway
Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, 2018

Israel–Norway relations are the bilateral relations between Israel and Norway. Norway was one of the first countries to recognize Israel, doing so on 4 February 1949.

History

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On 11 May 1949, Norway was one of the U.N. members that voted in the General Assembly to admit Israel to the UN.[1][2] Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 July 1950.[3]

Prime Minister Levi Eshkol meeting with Foreign Minister John Lyng, 1967

Israel has an embassy in Oslo,[4] which serves Norway and Iceland. Norway has an embassy in Tel Aviv[5] and two honorary consulates, one in Eilat and the other in Haifa.

In 1981, a group of labour union members founded the organization Friends of Israel in the Norwegian Labour Movement (Norwegian: Venner av Israel i Norsk Arbeiderbevegelse). The purpose was to strengthen relations between Norwegian and Israeli labor movements in an informal and personal way. This was done by sending delegations to Israel, and by receiving visitors from Israel. Israel's ambassador to Oslo was an Israeli Druze poet and university lecturer, Naim Araidi. His deputy was George Deek, a Christian Arab from Jaffa.[6]

Norway provided the facilities in 1993 to Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) that culminated in the Oslo Accords. In March 2007, the Norwegian government recognized the Hamas-led 2007 Palestinian unity government, and restoring full political and economic ties, but calling on the Palestinian authorities to renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist.[7] The unity government failed to get international support because it did not meet the conditions set by the Quartet. Israel said it would not deal with the new Palestinian government unless it recognised Israel, which it refused to do.

With Israel for Peace (MIFF) in Oslo

The leader of the third largest political party in Norway, Siv Jensen a supporter of Israel, said she was not afraid to defend Israel's right to defend itself. She visited the Israeli city of Sderot in the summer of 2008 and experienced the landing of a rocket from Hamas first hand. She and others had to run for the air-raid shelter. She opposed the Norwegian government's decision to recognise Hamas because "you don't negotiate with terrorists, you just don't."[8]

The Israeli Embassy in Oslo

In January 2009, she appeared at a pro-Israel demonstration in Oslo.[9] The Norwegian Police Security Service feared that Jensen might be the target of an attack although Jensen herself was not concerned.[10] While political scientists had speculated that the Progress Party would lose more voters than they would gain by this support for Israel,[11][12] polls showed a slight increase in support for the party.[13]

In 2010, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said "Norway considers the Israeli presence in East Jerusalem to be in violation of international law, as does the entire international community."[14] George Deek became chargé d'affaires at the embassy until the new ambassador Rafael Schultz started his mission in the summer of 2014.[15]

On 22 May 2024, Israel's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, announced the recall of the Norwegian Ambassador, Per Egil Selvaag, following the Norwegian government's intention to recognize the State of Palestine on 28 May 2024.[16] On 8 August 2024, Katz announced further sanctions and revoked the diplomatic status of Norwegian officials who were posted to serve in Norway's representative office in the PA.

Military ties

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In 2007, 24 Norwegian Jews were registered as working for the Israeli military.[17]

In September 2010, after Germany began testing two new Dolphin class submarines for the Israeli Navy, Norway banned them from testing in its territorial waters, due to their possible future role in enforcing the Blockade of the Gaza Strip.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ John Pike. "Israeli War of Independence". Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  2. ^ Neff, Donald. "Third Time's a Charm: Israel Admitted as U.N. Member in 1949". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (July 2011). American Educational Trust: 24. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  3. ^ "Norges opprettelse af diplomatiske forbindelser med fremmede stater" (PDF). regjeringen.no (in Norwegian). 27 April 1999. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Israels ambassade i Norge". Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Norway – the official site in Israel". Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  6. ^ Hirshfeld, Rachel (8 June 2012). "Israel Appoints Two Arab Diplomats in Norway". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Norway recognizes Palestinian unity government". Reuters. 17 March 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  8. ^ Bawer, Bruce (December 2008). "A Norwegian Thatcher?". Standpoint. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  9. ^ Fondenes, Eivind (1 September 2009). "- Israels krigføring var også terror". TV2.
  10. ^ "Politiet frykter angrep på Siv Jensen". VG. 8 January 2009.
  11. ^ "- Frps Israel-støtte gir velgertap". Dagbladet. 8 January 2009.
  12. ^ Lilleås, Heidi Schei (9 January 2009). "- Siv spiller høyt". Nettavisen. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  13. ^ Skarvøy, Lars Joakim (13 January 2009). "Dette kan Siv ha tjent på". Nettavisen. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  14. ^ "Norway concerned over situation in East Jerusalem". regjeringen.no. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 18 January 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  15. ^ Keinon, Herb (15 November 2018). "Jewish state appoints Christian envoy to Muslim country". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  16. ^ "Ireland, Norway, and Spain to recognise Palestinian state next week". bbc.com. BBC. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Forsvarets forum » Seksjoner » Aktuelt » Ja, vi elsker Israel". Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  18. ^ "Ynetnews - Homepage".

Further reading

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  • Paul Engstad Norsk arbeiderbevegelses samarbeid med Israel og innsats for fred i Midtøsten : Israel 50 år 1948-1998. VINA Oslo 1998.
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