After recognizing Palestinian statehood, Israel snubs Norwegian FM

Weeks after Norway recognized unilateral Palestinian statehood, Israeli refuses request by Norwegian foreign minister to pay Israel a visit.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel has rejected a request by the Foreign Minister of Norway to visit Israel, according to a report Tuesday, following Norway’s recognition of unilateral Palestinian statehood outside of a final status agreement with Israel.

According to a report by Israel Hayom, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry had filed a request with the Israeli Foreign Ministry to arrange a diplomatic visit by Norway’s Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry reportedly ignored the request, forcing Eide to delay his planned visit.

After failing to receive a response from the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Eide addressed Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, personally, asking him to help arrange the visit.

Katz, however, rejected Eide’s request.

The Norwegian minister’s planned trip was part of an overture by Norway to restore its frayed ties with Israel, after Jerusalem blasted Norway for joining Ireland, Spain, and Slovenia in recognizing unilateral Palestinian statehood.

Tuesday’s report claimed that Norway had sought to restore ties with Israel at the sidelines of last week’s NATO conference in Washington.

Eide reportedly approached Katz at the conference, and, attempting to initiate a conversation, said “We have a lot of things to talk about.”

The report cited several witnesses who said that Katz responded by saying: “There are also a lot of things you have done to us.”

On May 22nd Ireland, Norway, and Spain announced plans to recognize Palestinian statehood, despite a lack of a final status agreement with Israel, prompting Jerusalem to recall its ambassadors to all three countries.

Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, condemned the decision. On social media platform X, he stressed that the move essentially served as a reward for the October 7th terror onslaught, which saw over 1,200 murdered, including babies and the elderly, along with the kidnapping of some 250 people.

“I have instructed the immediate recall of Israel’s ambassadors… for consultations in light of these countries’ decisions to recognize a Palestinian state,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement posted to his X account.

“I’m sending a clear and unequivocal message to Ireland and Norway: Israel will not remain silent in the face of those undermining its sovereignty and endangering its security,” he continued.

Espen Barth EideIsrael KatzNorwayPalestinian StatePalestinian statehood