The staff of the Israeli Embassy in Norway faces a daily barrage of hostility – spitting, burning of Israeli flags, with children encouraged to stomp on them, defacement of hostage posters, and demonstrations replete with Palestinian flags and curses. Just this past Saturday, a rally took place where a prominent activist openly called for "only one solution: the revolution of the Intifada," advocating for a violent uprising against Jews.
One of the contributing factors to this situation is the defamation campaign against Israel led by the local government, particularly Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt.
Video: Protesters wave Palestinian flags, call for Intifada outside Israeli Embassy in Oslo
According to Yana Kotlyar-Gal of the embassy, "The foreign minister employs distinct pro-Palestinian terminology, providing a tailwind for local pro-Palestinian organizations and primarily influenced by the extreme voices within society, which is largely not anti-Israeli." Kotlyar-Gal is in charge of the embassy until Ambassador Avi Nir-Feldklein, who was called to Jerusalem for consultations on the matter, returns.
She continued, "The inciting discourse creates more and more hateful activities against the embassy, with the understanding that none of these expressions of hatred contribute in any way to advancing the Palestinian cause. When the government neglects to mention the need for the release of captives and repeatedly blames Israel without acknowledging Hamas's actions, it's no wonder hostility grows."
Thus far, Norway has hardly condemned Hamas and even maintains contacts with the terrorist organization. Huitfeldt, for instance, was recently photographed alongside a sign bearing the message "F**k Israel," held by the daughter of a terrorist.
Inclusion and multiculturalism are beautiful values that enrich societies,
abusing them is a threat to the way of life and values of liberal societies.The Jews are the Canary in the coal mine,
it's always starts with attacks on them, but never stops with the Jews.📷 Oslo,… https://t.co/UXINryI0sy pic.twitter.com/MD89UZv3KY
— Avi Nir-Feldklein (@avraham_nir) June 4, 2024
Although she later claimed it was unintentional, Huitfeldt has a history of anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric. She has previously reiterated the Palestinian notion that the creation of the Jewish state was a "disaster," and falsely claimed at an event that millions of Palestinians lived in the area before Israel became a state.
Huitfeldt often refrains from mentioning the Israeli hostages held by Hamas when calling for an end to "atrocities in Gaza," and frequently condemns Israel while overlooking the fact that it was Hamas who initiated the attacks on Oct. 7. Her deputy described the IDF operation to rescue four hostages as "a massacre," and in a recent vote at the United Nations institutions in Geneva, Norway refused to support an amendment calling for the release of the captives.
The country's recent recognition of a Palestinian state is another manifestation of the government's demonstrated one-sidedness. It was after this announcement that Nir-Feldklein was recalled for consultations in Israel.
Interestingly, a recent survey showed that despite the government's intense anti-Israel campaign, only less than half of the Norwegian public (48%) support the recognition of a Palestinian state.
Kotlyar-Gal said, "Fortunately, despite the hostile policy and negative campaign of the current government against Israel, we have many friends in Norway, and local public opinion is much more balanced than the government in Oslo."
