Israel has revoked the diplomatic status of eight Norwegian diplomats serving the occupied Palestinian territory.
“There is a price for anti-Israel behaviour,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Thursday, citing Norway’s recognition of Palestinian statehood and its backing of an International Criminal Court (ICC) case implicating Israeli leaders in alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity as reasons for the move.
The Norwegian ambassador was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem on Thursday, where he was informed that the diplomats, all based in Tel Aviv, would have their accreditation revoked in seven days and their visas annulled in three months.
“This is an extreme act that primarily affects our ability to help the Palestinian population,” said Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide in a statement, warning that the decision would have “consequences” for its relationship with the Israeli government.
The United States said the move was counterproductive and stymied Norwegian efforts to encourage cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
“Norway has a long history of playing a productive role when it comes to engaging with the government of Israel engaging with the Palestinian Authority,” Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on Thursday.
“We don’t think steps to prevent them from playing that role are particularly helpful,” he added.
Joseph Borrell, the European Union’s top diplomat, issued a statement condemning the move and offering his “full solidarity” to Norway.
Reporting from ar-Ram in the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh said Israel’s move was “ironic” given the role Norway has played in trying to bring peace to both Israel and Palestine.
“For Palestinians, Oslo is shorthand for the Oslo Accords, which were the result of bilateral talks between Palestinians and Israelis – secret talks – that Norway hosted and they resulted in the first glimmer of hope Palestinians had that the occupation would end,” Odeh said.
“To single out Norway … really speaks volumes as to where we are in terms of political positions, and where Israel is in terms of commitment to that two-state formula, and where the path ahead is, if there is one,” she added.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Thursday that mentioned “serious statements by senior Norwegian officials” that were viewed as anti-Israel.
In an official note delivered to the Norwegian embassy in Tel Aviv, the ministry also accused Norway of “one-sided policies and statements” since the October 7 Hamas-led attack in southern Israel that preceded Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Spain, Ireland and Norway announced their decision to recognise a Palestinian state in May, drawing a strong rebuke from Israel whose leaders have repeatedly spoken out against Palestinian statehood.
Israel had reacted furiously, accusing all three of “rewarding terrorism” and immediately withdrawing its ambassadors to Ireland, Norway and Spain.
It also ordered Spain’s consulate in Jerusalem to stop offering consular services to Palestinians from June 1, with Katz saying at the time that it was a “punitive” measure.
In May, the chief prosecutor of the ICC, Karim Khan, applied for arrest warrants against top Israeli and Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes.
Khan announced his office had “reasonable grounds” to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant bore “criminal responsibility” for “war crimes and crimes against humanity”.
