Norway Rejects Hamas Terror Designation Ahead of Oct. 7
Translated & summarized from Israel Hayom by baba
Norway's parliament rejected a proposal to create a national terror list that would have included Hamas, Hezbollah, and other groups. The decision leaves Norway as one of the few Western nations without its own terror designation list, relying instead on the UN's. This comes as Norway is simultaneously moving to ban trade with West Bank settlements, a move criticized by the Israeli Embassy as "obsessive anti-Israeli activity."
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Norway's parliament rejected a proposal to designate Hamas and other groups as terrorists.
- The decision leaves Norway without an independent national terror list.
- Norway is advancing legislation to ban trade with West Bank settlements.
- The Israeli Embassy criticized Norway's actions as "obsessive anti-Israeli activity."
- Norway relies solely on the UN's terror list, which does not include Hamas.
Norway's parliament, the Storting, rejected a proposed law that would have established the country's first official national list of terror organizations, including Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The proposal, put forth by the Christian People's Party (KrF), aimed to criminalize any activity within these groups. Only the Progress Party (FrP) supported the KrF's initiative, while the majority voted against it, leaving Norway without an independent national terror list.
KrF Chairman Joar Estebø stated that such a list would send a clear message against terror organizations and make it harder for them to operate and recruit in Norway. He noted that many allied nations maintain their own national lists alongside international ones. Estebø also suggested Norway had been too naive regarding the growing international terror threat and the radicalization seen online.
A KrF Member of Parliament expressed disappointment, emphasizing that such a list should be obvious in a democracy. He voiced concerns about potential support for Hamas in Norway, especially with a pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for the day after the vote. He argued that an official list would clarify Norway's stance, which he described as currently unclear, even when Norwegian officials engage with Hamas.
Norway is one of the few Western countries without its own terror list, having opted in 2006 to rely solely on the UN's list. The UN does not designate Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist entities, meaning they are not considered such under Norwegian law, despite Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre having previously called Hamas's actions "acts of terror."
This is not the first time the issue has been raised. Following the October 7, 2023, attacks, the Progress Party made a similar proposal, which was rejected by the government. At the time, then-Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt explained that Norway adhered only to the UN list.
In contrast to its stance on terror designations, Norway is advancing legislation to ban trade with settlements in the West Bank, including import, export, and real estate transactions. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, described as one of Europe's most hostile foreign ministers towards Israel, expects the bill to pass this autumn, with violations potentially leading to up to three years in prison. The Israeli Embassy in Norway criticized this move as the "latest example of the obsessive anti-Israeli activity" of the Foreign Minister.