HELSINKI – Norway condemns Israel’s decision to “legalize” five Wset Bank settlement outposts, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide says.
The security cabinet, at the behest of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, last week announced the steps along with a series of punitive moves against the Palestinian Authority.
Barth Eide adds that Norway finds it “totally unacceptable” that Israel has also decided to advance the approval of another 6,016 housing units for settlements in the West Bank.
He says the decisions undermined efforts to establish peace in the region and demands Israel reverse them.
“Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live their lives in peace and security, with freedom, dignity and equal rights. The two-state solution is the only viable solution,” Barth Eide says, referring to Norway’s earlier stance.
Norway, which recognized Palestine as a state in May, has been a vocal supporter of a two-state solution. Interim peace accords were brokered in Norway in the 1990s.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 4, 2024
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
