Israel had to deny the right of Entry to the country to the Foreign Minister of Norway, Espen Barth Eide, after the rising tensions in its relationship with Norway. Such tensions only happened after Norway decided to recognize the Palestinian country. The angry Israeli government had commented that such a decision at a time when the country was fighting with people like Hamas and other militant groups was a highly provocative move.
This corresponds with the general Western intention to promote a political solution leading to peace insofar as Palestinian recognition would be a step towards an anti-Hamas and two-state resolution; Eide stresses that recognition by Norway of Palestinian statehood would apply only to moderate factions and would not look kindly on any endorsement of Hamas.
Israel’s refusal to grant Eide entry is part and parcel of the broader diplomatic backlash. Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz has also sharply criticized the gesture being extended to him by the Norwegian government, commenting, This way, Israel needs to cope with the appreciable task of destroying Hamas and protecting its people, he said, before reiterating the feelings of many Israeli ministers., These steps only show extremists: ‘Maybe all you need is a little bit of terrorism to change the principles of people and democracies.’.
Such a diplomatic rift, in a broader sense, underlines the international dynamics at play, where so many countries are churning out different approaches to the Israel-Palestine issue. Where some European nations and Norway struggle to bring a new approach of statehood recognition for Palestinians as a way to peace, Israel is much apprehensive about such moves, as it fears that the situation might turn for the worse rather than towards a solution.
