Israel nixes Norwegian FM visit over Oslo's Palestinian statehood policy

Jerusalem rejected a request by Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide to visit Israel and the West Bank as a protest move against his country’s decision in May to unilaterally recognize Palestinian statehood.

The Foreign Ministry said it had also taken issue with Norway’s refusal to recognize Hamas as a terror group and for its support of South Africa’s legal petition to the International Court of Justice alleging that Israel was in violation of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Initially, the ministry failed to respond to several requests from its Norwegian counterpart that had sought approval for the visit.

Eide then personally turned to Foreign Minister Israel Katz on the matter when they were both attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit in Washington last week. Katz rejected the request.

“The Norwegian minister told him: ‘We have a lot to talk about,’” Katz’s spokesperson said. “Foreign Minister Katz replied: ‘There are also many things you have done to us,’ and refused his request to meet in Israel.”

Norway’s Foreign Ministry said in response, “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,” it said.

Five European countries have recognized Palestinian state

“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,” the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said.

Norway was one of five European countries to unilaterally recognize Palestine as a state in May and June. Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and Armenia also took that step.