The development of Norwegian interest in the Palestinian issue went through a process of several stages, which can be summarized as follows: • the first stage lasted from 1948 to 1987. At that time, Norway was one of the countries in Europe most sympathetic to the Zionist state.
For instance, Trygvi Lee, the Norwegian Secretary General of the United Nations in 1948, was known for his sympathy for the Zionists. • The Norwegian parties disagreed on many local issues. However, as Major General Odd Bull, the former head of the international forces in the Middle East, told me in a conversation in 1985, they all agreed to support Israel.
I am referring to the Labor Party and the Right-wing Party, which were the main parties in the country before other parties emerged later. Norway was one of the countries that voted for the partition of Palestine in 1947, and the vote then was in favor of the Zionists.
Phase II. Here I will mention various factors that led to the change in Norwegian policy towards Palestine, but remember that it is difficult to identify which one factor was decisive. This phase began to become evident in 1987, when the first intifada began, which was widely covered by Norwegian television, with pro-Palestinian journalists such as Kirstein Teat playing a central role.
A Norwegian battalion was also stationed in southern Lebanon as part of the UN force, rotating every six months to allow hundreds of soldiers to experience the aggressive nature of Israel.
Norwegian medical teams have been working in southern Lebanon for many years and continue to do so. Hundreds of Norwegians learned about the Palestinian issue by listening to the stories of Palestinian refugees. After returning, they helped explain their observations, which helped to expand the understanding of the Palestinian cause
The role of the Norwegian solidarity groups Palestine Committee and Palestine Front in raising awareness of the Palestinian cause in Norway. In addition to the big trade union LO, this also played a role in the change.
The third phase, from 1993 to the present with the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, the Norwegian media fully exposed the injustices suffered by the Palestinian people, despite the many negative aspects of the agreement.
The Norwegian media reported on this event every day, as it became a local event and was seen as an important achievement for Norway. Social media played an important role in promoting the Palestinian issue through media material that would not normally appear in the official media, especially because the new generation of Norwegians does not have the same guilt towards the Jews as previous generations. All these reasons are a cumulative process that has led to Norway’s positive attitude towards the Palestinian issue.
Several political parties, such as the Democratic Left, Red and Workers Party cadres, as well as important and widely respected figures such as the late leader of the Right Party, Korea Winlock, as well as doctors such as Mag Gilbert, Eric Fossa, Ebba veregland , Trond lingsta, and academics and activists such as Lars Cole .Nils Peterson, Hilda Hendrickson ,kjel pigsta and others have played an important role in explaining the Palestinian issue.
This phase is characterized by a huge increase in support for Palestine, which has even surpassed the Zionist influence of the Friends of Israel organization.
Important developments resulting from the Gaza war have increased greatly the sympathy for Palestine, and the idea of recognizing Palestine has been discussed in Parliament, which decides that recognition will happen when it contributes to peace. Until two weeks ago, when Norway,Ireland spain and Slovenia decided to recognize the state of Palestine .
Salim Nazzal is a Palestinian Norwegian researcher, lecturer playwright and poet, wrote more than 17 books such as Perspectives on thought, culture and political sociology, in thought, culture and ideology, the road to Baghdad
