The Crisis of Norwegian-Israeli Diplomatic and Economic Relations

Author: عمار جمهور

The Norwegian-Israeli relations have recently shifted from unwavering support to intense confrontation, most clearly illustrated by Norway's recognition of the Palestinian state last year, in a tripartite announcement that included Norway, Spain, and Ireland. Recently, the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund has halted its investments in Israel, announcing the sale of its stakes in eleven Israeli companies, resulting in significant economic losses. The fund is the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world, known for its strict reputation and standards of integrity and efficiency, thanks to the ethics council that reviews investments and their compliance with laws and regulations issued by the Norwegian Ministry of Finance. The fund manages assets valued at nearly $1.8 trillion.
Among these companies, for example, the military company known as "Ben Shimon Engines," which provides services for certain aircraft-related industries. The Israeli telecommunications company "Bezeq," which provides services to settlements, El Al Airlines, and the largest discount store chain "Rami Levy" operating in the settlements. Consequently, the fund's portfolio shrank from 61 to 44 companies. The stance of Norwegian diplomacy shifted from absolute support to condemnation and denouncement, and then to the adoption of strict political and economic decisions, thereby declaring a diplomatic and economic war on Israel, prioritizing its ethical values over its economic interests.
The Israeli fears are growing regarding the spread of investment contagion and the globalization of the idea, as an Israeli banking official stated to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper that the current situation in Israel is prompting investors to pull their money out, and there is a decline in the demand for purchasing Israeli bonds, which is a phenomenon that has not occurred in many years. Israel is suffering from a lack of economic welcome from some countries in the world, and there are Israeli companies at risk due to certain international entities imposing unofficial boycotts on Israeli factories and avoiding investment in Israel.
To understand the nature of Israeli-Norwegian relations in-depth and to grasp the magnitude of Israel's loss of Norway as an important and strategic international supporter, it is necessary to return to the roots of Zionist-Norwegian relations to understand the motivations for historical support. During World War II, Adolf Hitler invaded Norway, which was not participating in the war at that time, but for geopolitical reasons asserted control over it. As a result, the Norwegian people found themselves in a real dilemma; part of the Norwegian population aligned with Hitler and worked on his behalf by forming a pro-Nazi government. Another part opposed the German occupation and resisted it by all possible means. As a result, Hitler treated the Norwegian opponents as he did the Jews, and they suffered real hardships. The part that sided with Hitler, represented by the Norwegian police, committed crimes and atrocities against the Jews, which led the Norwegian people and their government to sympathize and support the establishment of the Zionist entity in all economic and political aspects, as a form of atonement for their guilt complex towards them.
In 1947, Norway stood by the Zionist project and voted in favor of the UN resolution to partition Palestine, No. (181). The first Secretary-General of the United Nations, born Norwegian Trygve Halvdan Lie, played a pivotal role in issuing the partition resolution, as he was part of the opposition government to Hitler's government and held several ministerial positions in his country’s governments. He provided significant political and diplomatic facilitation and assistance to the Zionist entity, to the extent of describing the Zionist movement as "his own child" and the greatest achievement of his tenure as Secretary-General. He was keen on holding meetings continually and confidentially at his home with leaders of the Jewish Agency, and he leaked vital diplomatic, political, and military information to support their efforts.
The Norwegian support for Israel was boundless and continuous, to the extent that Norwegian parties raised donations to purchase construction materials and wood and sent them to the Zionist entity to build the first Israeli settlements in 1948. Norway included in its curricula topics to teach and educate Norwegians about the myth of the land of the Jews and the dream of Israel and glorifying it. Norway also provided the Zionist entity with 20 tons of heavy water to build the Dimona reactor – which was part of Hitler's project to manufacture the atomic bomb – prioritizing the support of the Israeli nuclear project over its own, due to its commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. It later focused all efforts to manage the Palestinian conflict and contribute to finding peaceful solutions for it. It played a historical role in managing the Palestinian conflict, manifested in its sponsorship of the Oslo Accords that led to the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority on the occupied land and laid the foundation for building Palestinian institutions in an independent, sovereign state. As a result of this unlimited support, former Israeli President Shimon Peres considered in his book "The New Middle East" that Norway is a gift from heaven. Later, after issuing his book, he boasted in 2007 about the strength of the Israeli economy, noting that Israel buys several European countries with its money, including Norway.
The change in Norwegian-Israeli diplomatic relations came after the Israeli war on Gaza in 2014, along with the Israeli practices against the Palestinian people that brought back to the minds of Norwegians, both people and government, the historical injustice they endured during World War II and Hitler's racist practices against them. The Zionist entity began to adopt the same practices that Hitler had carried out, which made them feel the suffering of the Palestinians and the injustices they faced—similar to their historical injustices. The visit of Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen in 2018, as well as the visit of Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt in 2022, had a significant impact on changing Norway's political impressions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, due to what they witnessed and observed of settlement expansion, brutal practices, and arbitrary measures against the Palestinian people. Additionally, the refusal of then-Prime Minister Yair Lapid to meet with Minister Huitfeldt in light of Norway's decision to boycott products from Israeli settlements by marking them with special labels.
These collective factors prompted Norway to recognize the State of Palestine last year. The same factors led it to expel the Israeli ambassador from the capital Oslo and relocate him to a village somewhat far from the capital due to the growing phenomenon of anger among Norwegians for their discomfort with him and their displeasure with the crimes of his government. The Norwegian government also advised King Harald V not to send a message of solidarity with the Zionist entity during the recent war on Gaza. Norway prevented Israeli submarines from approaching its territorial waters and refused to receive them in its ports. These submarines were purchased by Israel from Germany, and were supposed to undergo technical and engineering inspections on the shores of Norway. Benjamin Netanyahu was later accused of corruption concerning the purchase process. Norway did not stop there; it initiated a memorandum to the International Criminal Court demanding the arrest of Netanyahu and his former Minister of Defense Yoav Galant. It publicly announced that it would arrest Netanyahu if he entered its territory, according to what Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Krapić announced, and it would execute the arrest warrant issued by the court. Furthermore, Norway refused to welcome tourists from Israel and prevented them from entering the country.
Norway's positions come as an attempt to restore respect to the global consensus that crystallized after World War II through the establishment of a legal, institutional, and moral framework and to deter the rogue Zionist entity from this consensus. What is happening in Gaza is worse than hell itself and implicitly acknowledges the historical error that afflicted the Palestinian cause. Therefore, this position is considered a sharp turning point urging European countries to adopt similar stances to deter the excessive behavior of the Zionist entity, serving as a deterrent to halt Netanyahu's arrogance, which resonated with many European countries to take similar measures, primarily Spain.
This necessitates that we, as Palestinians, rearrange our diplomatic relations with a strategic approach that strengthens this relationship, solidifies it, opens avenues for cooperation, and roots it in all fields, whether cultural, economic, or political. The Norwegian idea needs to be promoted worldwide, and the discourse should include the cessation of support fundamentally derived from taxpayer money for the purpose of the extermination and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people, leading campaigns that are well-studied and strategic, adopting messages that center around the essence that governments prefer to channel tax money to the Zionist entity over the interests of their own peoples.
Additionally, it is essential to uphold lofty moral values and respond to the calls of global audiences to ensure that funds are not allocated to Israel to support its audacity, its violations of international law, and the transgressions of human principles and values that the West has long touted. Leveraging statements from officials and influencers, including former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr, who stated that the Zionist lobby prioritizes its interests over Australian policies, and that there is no one in Australia who favors another state over the one they live in except the Zionist lobby, has become apparent, as has what is happening in America, where those who do not gain the support of the Zionist lobby cannot win political positions, thus using tax dollars and donations to intervene in the making of domestic political decisions.