Geography Bot: New page: Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections (Europe W2a); every reference checked

2026-10-25T12:31:37Z

New page: Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections (Europe W2a); every reference checked

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{{short description|'''Norway: its Jewish community, recognition of Palestine, pension fund exclusions and Terje Rød-Larsen'''}}
About 1,300 Jews lived in '''Norway''' in 2023, according to the [[World Jewish Congress]] (WJC).<ref name="WJCNO">World Jewish Congress, [https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/about/communities/NO Community in Norway] ''worldjewishcongress.org'', accessed 25 October 2026.</ref> Norway recognised the State of Palestine on 28 May 2024,<ref name="RegjeringenNO2024">Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, [https://www.regjeringen.no/en/whats-new/norway-recognises-palestine-today/id3040890/ Norway recognises Palestine today] ''regjeringen.no'', 28 May 2024, accessed 25 October 2026.</ref> and in August 2025 Norges Bank excluded five Israeli banks from the Government Pension Fund Global.<ref name="NBIM2025">Norges Bank Investment Management, [https://www.nbim.no/en/news-and-insights/the-press/press-releases/2025/decisions-on-exclusion/ Decisions on exclusion] ''nbim.no'', 25 August 2025, accessed 25 October 2026.</ref>

==Jewish community==
The Jewish communities are in Oslo and Trondheim, each with a synagogue. Det Mosaiske Trossamfund (The Mosaic Community) in Oslo is the communal representative body and the WJC's affiliate. Hjelp Jødene Hjem (Help the Jews Home) helps Jews to make aliyah to "Israel". Kosher slaughter has been banned in Norway since 1929.<ref name="WJCNO" />
===Chabad===
:''Main article: [[Chabad-Lubavitch movement]]''
The WJC notes a Chabad presence in Oslo.<ref name="WJCNO" />

==Israeli state and commercial ties==
===Diplomacy===
The Israeli foreign ministry's 2011 list of missions records relations with Norway as recognition in January 1949, with "Israel" represented by its embassy in Oslo.<ref name="MFA2011">Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110805075305/http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/about%20the%20ministry/diplomatic%20missions/Israel-s%20Diplomatic%20Missions%20Abroad Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations] ''mfa.gov.il'', archived 5 August 2011.</ref> The Embassy of Israel in Norway and Iceland is at Parkveien 35, PB 4046 AMB, 0244 Oslo.<ref name="WJCNO" />
===Trade===
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics reports that "Israel" imported goods worth $241.7 million from Norway in 2025 (2024: $265.4 million) and exported goods worth $44.2 million to it (2024: $49.8 million).<ref name="CBS">Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel), [https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/DocLib/2026/fr_trade12_2025/td1.pdf Foreign Trade Statistics Monthly, Table D1: Trade Countries – Imports and Exports] ''CBS'', December 2025 issue (library copy).</ref>
===Government Pension Fund Global exclusions===
On 25 August 2025 the Norges Bank Executive Board excluded First International Bank of Israel Ltd and its holding company FIBI Holdings Ltd, [[Bank Leumi|Bank Leumi Le-Israel BM]], Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd, [[Bank Hapoalim|Bank Hapoalim BM]] and Caterpillar Inc. from the fund "due to an unacceptable risk that the companies contribute to serious violations of the rights of individuals in situations of war and conflict". The decisions were based on recommendations from the Council on Ethics of 25 June and 2 July 2025.<ref name="NBIM2025" /> The council's recommendation on Bank Leumi, issued on 2 July 2025, said that by providing financial services necessary for construction in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the bank had contributed to maintaining the settlements, which it described as established in breach of international law.<ref name="EtikkLeumi">Council on Ethics for the Government Pension Fund Global, [https://etikkradet.no/bank-leumi-le-israel-bm/ Bank Leumi Le-Israel BM] ''etikkradet.no'', accessed 25 October 2026 (in Norwegian).</ref>
==Political interference==
===Recognition of Palestine===
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide announced on 22 May 2024 that Norway would recognise Palestine; the decision was adopted by royal decree on 24 May and entered into force on 28 May. Eide said that "for over 30 years, Norway has been one of the strongest advocates of a Palestinian state" and that "it is regrettable that the Israeli Government is showing little willingness to engage constructively in the process".<ref name="RegjeringenNO2024" />
===UN voting===
Norway voted in favour of the September 2025 General Assembly resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on a two-state solution.<ref name="UNNY2025">United Nations General Assembly, [https://www.alquds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Voting-rec-L.1-Rev.1.pdf Recorded vote on A/80/L.1/Rev.1: Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution], 12 September 2025 (copy hosted by ''Al-Quds Al-Arabi'').</ref>
==Terje Rød-Larsen==
Terje Rød-Larsen, a former Norwegian diplomat and politician described by the Associated Press as "an architect of the Oslo peace accords", resigned as president of the International Peace Institute (IPI) in New York in 2020, apologising for his "failed judgment" in securing donations from foundations related to Jeffrey Epstein.<ref name="APLarsen2020">Edith M. Lederer, [https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-kevin-rudd-oslo-crime-think-tanks-ca62b1c799d2cb3bb346afcf4dfec355 Norway's Larsen resigns as think tank CEO over Epstein link] ''Associated Press'', 2 November 2020, accessed 25 October 2026.</ref>
===Ehud Barak emails===
The following items come from the two leaked mailboxes of the former Israeli prime minister and defence minister [[Ehud Barak]] (ehbarak1@gmail.com and ehud.barak@hyperion-eb.com, 2007–2016). They were hacked and leaked by [[Handala (hacker group)|Handala]], a group that [[Distributed Denial of Secrets]] describes as "believed to have ties to Iranian intelligence", and were published by Distributed Denial of Secrets in August 2025. The emails carry no cryptographic signatures, and Distributed Denial of Secrets warns that material from such hack-and-leak operations may have been altered.<ref name="DDoSBarak">Distributed Denial of Secrets, [https://ddosecrets.org/article/ehud-barak-emails Ehud Barak emails], 27 August 2025, with download at [https://data.ddosecrets.org/Ehud%20Barak%20emails/ data.ddosecrets.org], accessed 25 October 2026.</ref>

*On 25 April 2014 an assistant to Rød-Larsen at the IPI wrote to Barak that Rød-Larsen had asked her to arrange a meeting with him in Washington DC on 8 May.<ref name="BarakNO1">Email from the International Peace Institute to Ehud Barak, "Meeting with Terje Roed-Larsen", 25 April 2014, file <code>ehbarak1@gmail.com/Inbox!35/1 (482).html</code>, ''Ehud Barak emails'', [https://ddosecrets.org/article/ehud-barak-emails Distributed Denial of Secrets], released 27 August 2025 (hacked and leaked by the Handala group), accessed 25 October 2026.</ref> On 2 May 2014 Epstein wrote to Barak: "ok, see you on the 18th. send terje the paragraph for mongolia today."<ref name="BarakNO2">Email from Jeffrey Epstein to Ehud Barak, "Re: touch Base JE", 2 May 2014, file <code>ehbarak1@gmail.com/Inbox!35/1 (351).html</code>, ''Ehud Barak emails'', [https://ddosecrets.org/article/ehud-barak-emails Distributed Denial of Secrets], released 27 August 2025 (hacked and leaked by the Handala group), accessed 25 October 2026.</ref>
===Jeffrey Epstein===
Documents released by the US Department of Justice in the Jeffrey Epstein files include the following.
*On 25 October 2011 Epstein's assistant asked Rød-Larsen whether he could "send over an African Expert today to Jeffrey's home around 4:00". Rød-Larsen replied that he was "Working on it", then named the person who would come and wrote: "Ask Jeff to call me."<ref name="EpNO1">Email exchange between Jeffrey Epstein's assistant and Terje Rød-Larsen, "Re: Jeffrey Epstein", 25 October 2011, EFTA00425303, US Department of Justice, Epstein Files release, Data Set 9, [https://tommycarstensen.com/epstein/data/documents/set9/00425/EFTA00425303.html copy at tommycarstensen.com/epstein], accessed 25 October 2026.</ref>
*On 4 October 2014 the IPI sent Epstein an invitation, signed by Mona Juul and Terje Rød-Larsen, to a dinner at the institute at 777 UN Plaza, New York, on 24 October.<ref name="EpNO2">Email from the International Peace Institute to Jeffrey Epstein, "Invitation for dinner on Friday, October 24, from Mona Juul and Terje Roed-Larsen", 4 October 2014, EFTA02592104, US Department of Justice, Epstein Files release, Data Set 11, [https://tommycarstensen.com/epstein/data/documents/set11/02592/EFTA02592104.html copy at tommycarstensen.com/epstein], accessed 25 October 2026.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Denmark]]
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Finland]]
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Sweden]]
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Estonia]]
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Latvia]]
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Lithuania]]
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Iceland]]

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category:Zionist movement|Norway]]
[[Category:Norway]]
[[Category:Europe|Norway]]

Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Norway - Revision history

Geography Bot: New page: Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections (Europe W2a); every reference checked