Israeli FM bars Norwegian counterpart from visiting, citing Palestine recognition
Katz says Eide told him at last week’s NATO summit that they have much to discuss, but Norway doesn’t consider Hamas a terror group and is backing anti-Israel efforts at The Hague
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Foreign Minister Israel Katz turned down his Norwegian counterpart Espen Barth Eide’s request to visit Israel, his office said on Tuesday, saying the decision was made in protest of a series of decisions by Norway’s government relating to the war against Hamas in Gaza.
Katz pointed to Norway’s recognition of a Palestinian state, failure to list Hamas as a terrorist organization, and backing of the case against Israel at The Hague as reasons for his refusal to let Eide into the country on an official visit.
According to Katz, Eide has asked to visit several times since May, when Norway, Spain, and Ireland coordinated recognition of a Palestinian state.
He finally approached Katz at last week’s NATO summit in Washington and told him, “We have a lot to discuss.”
“You’ve also done a lot to us,” responded Katz, according to his office.
Eide can’t visit the Palestinian Authority in any official capacity either until Israel consents.
In response, Oslo said that “Norway seeks dialogue and engagement and maintains ongoing contact with Israel on multiple levels.”
“In the context of an upcoming visit to the region, Foreign Minister Eide had proposed a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Katz,” said Eide’s spokeswoman Mariken Bruusgaard Harbitz. “We understand that Minister Katz is not ready for this meeting now.”
“We will continue to engage other interlocutors in both Israel and Palestine, as all perspectives on the current dramatic situation should be heard.”
Throughout the war in Gaza, Eide has been critical of Israel’s conduct. While affirming Israel’s right to self-defense against the Hamas terror group, Norway voted in favor of the October 27 United Nations resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza — alongside the release of Hamas-held hostages — before Israel’s ground offensive even began.
Eide said that Israel was “burning sympathy” with its strikes in Gaza, and criticized Western countries for not using the same language around the war in Gaza that they use to condemn Russian crimes in Ukraine.
Norway’s top diplomat told The Times of Israel in May that his country’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state came in reaction to the policies and statements of the Netanyahu government, and that he believed proactive measures must be taken to bring about the two-state solution.
He argued that the move would strengthen moderates and sideline Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group, and the rest of the Iran-backed axis.
Eide also asserted that Israel, still scarred by October 7, might need help thinking about the bigger picture, which Norway is trying to do.
Unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state by other countries is rejected not only by Netanyahu’s government, but also by past Israeli leaders across the political spectrum, who believe that a Palestinian state should only come about through direct negotiations between the two sides.
