Israel has revoked the diplomatic status of several Norwegian diplomats, further straining the relationship between the two countries, which has been deteriorating since Norway recognized the state of Palestine in May.
On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on X that he revoked the accreditation of eight Norwegian diplomats who had been working in Norway’s representative office to the Palestinian Authority.
“This is an extreme act that primarily affects our ability to help the Palestinian population,” Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eid said in a statement. “It shows once again that the Netanyahu government actively opposes the work for a two-state solution.”
The dispute also involves the International Criminal Court (ICC) court caseagainst Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three senior Hamas leaders. The court’s prosecutor Karim Khan issued arrest warrants against the five men over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Norway is among the states that have joined the lawsuit, which Katz criticized as “baseless.”
Norway is not the only European country to have diplomatic tensions with Israel.
