The government of Israel announced on Thursday the revocation of the diplomatic status of the personnel who represent Norway in the Palestinian Authority, citing the “anti-Israeli behavior” that it says Oslo is displaying, with the other side embellishing the “extreme” decision and calls the representative of the Israeli government to be served with a protest.

“I have ordered the termination of all representation on behalf of the Norwegian embassy in Israel to the Palestinian Authority,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said. He cited the “anti-Israeli behavior” of Norway, which — together with Spain and Ireland — decided this year to recognize, from May 28, a Palestinian state, the establishment of which is rejected by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Whoever attacks us and unilaterally pursues a policy against us will pay the price,” explained Mr. Kats.

“Instead of fighting Palestinian terrorism after October 7 and supporting Israel, which is fighting against the Iranian axis of evil, Norway has chosen to reward the murderers and rapists of Hamas by giving them a gift in the form of recognizing a Palestinian state,” he read. the head of Israeli diplomacy.

Mr. Katz also cited Norway’s involvement in the prosecution of Israeli leaders at the International Criminal Court (ICC). While, in a separate announcement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry spoke of “statements” made by “senior Norwegian officials” against Israel.

His Norwegian counterpart Espen Bart Ide reacted by denouncing the “extreme action”, which will have serious consequences for the Netanyahu government, which is described as the most right-wing in Israel’s history. He did not specify what the consequences would be.

“Norway is a friend of Israel and will always be a friend of Israel,” he noted, but at the same time Oslo will criticize the occupation of Palestinian territories, the way the war is being waged in the Gaza Strip and the suffering it has caused to the Palestinian civilian population. completed.

Afterwards, Mr. Ayde announced that an Israeli representative had been summoned to Oslo to “protest against this decision” and added that the Norwegian government was “considering” what further “measures” it would take.

The revocation of the diplomatic status of eight Norwegian embassy staff responsible for the country’s representation in the Palestinian Authority will take effect “within seven days” of notification.

The US and the EU condemned the Israeli government’s decision.

Norway “has a long history” of “playing an important role” in promoting dialogue between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller reminded accredited editors. American diplomacy finds that “measures to prevent him from playing this role are not particularly constructive,” he added.

For his part, the head of EU diplomacy, Giuseppe Borrell, condemned the “unjustified decision, which goes against the spirit of the Oslo Accords and disproportionately undermines normal relations and cooperation with the Palestinian Authority”. ». “This is not a bilateral issue of Israel and Norway”, it concerns “all those working for peace and stability in the Middle East”, he emphasized. He also instructed the EU delegation in Israel to inform the Israeli government about the European position.

In early August, recalling that it has jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories, Norway ruled that the ICC should prosecute Israeli and Hamas leaders for war crimes in the Gaza Strip. For the Israeli government, the initiative of the United Nations court is a “scandal”.

Also, in June, Norway announced that it was increasing its funding to the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, by 100 million kroner (€8.7 million).

UNRWA, a pillar of humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip, is accused by the Israeli government of having turned into a tool of Hamas, and a law is being promoted in the Israeli parliament that characterizes it as a “terrorist” organization, which has provoked strong international reactions.

In May, the Israeli government announced that it had ordered Spain’s consulate in Israel to stop offering consular services to Palestinians as of June 1, as punishment for Madrid’s recognition of a Palestinian state.

Both Oslo and Madrid were cornerstones of the peace process in the 1990s in the Middle East. Spain had hosted the 1991 Israeli-Arab peace summit, two years before the 1993 Oslo accords, which were supposed to help resolve the conflict progressively, were closed after secret negotiations.