The Israeli Foreign Minister reported Israel Katz today is Thursday Norway By cancelling the diplomatic representation of its representatives to Ramallahafter an Israeli decision to cancel an agreement under which Palestinian tax funds would be transferred to Norway, in response to its recognition of the Palestinian state.
Israeli media reported that the message was delivered to a representative of the Norwegian embassy, who was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, while Katz claimed Norway is pursuing what he called a unilateral policy, and the decision comes within the framework of Israel’s sanctions on Norway for recognizing the State of Palestine, stressing, “We will distance them from the Palestinian cause.”
Katz added that what he called “anti-Israel behavior has a price,” claiming that Norway chose to reward what he described as murderers in Hamas Instead of “supporting Israel in the fight against the Iranian axis of evil,” he said, Norway “has also joined the campaign in a lawsuit against us in the International Criminal Court.”
Palestinian taxes
This comes after Israel decided to cancel an agreement under which Palestinian tax funds, known as “clearance,” were transferred to Norway, in response to its recognition of the Palestinian state.
Last February, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry announced that it would undertake to deliver the clearing funds that Tel Aviv had stopped transferring to Palestinian Authority After October 7th.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that the Israeli decision was taken by the security cabinet.The cabinet) recently, but it remained secret and came as a countermeasure to recent steps taken by Norway, such as recognizing an independent Palestinian state.
The newspaper pointed out that Israel is studying through United State…concluding an agreement with another country to replace Norway in receiving the Palestinian Authority’s funds, and that Tel Aviv is doing its utmost to convince Switzerland By transferring that money to it instead of Norway.
On May 28, Norway andSpain AndIreland It officially recognized the Palestinian state and followed suit on June 4. Sloveniawhere the number of countries recognizing it rose to 148 out of 193 member states. United Nations General Assembly.
The Palestinian Authority says it relies on clearance funds to pay its employees’ salaries, and without them it will not be able to meet its obligations towards wages and expenses of government institutions.
However, Israel suspended the transfer of these funds to the Palestinian side following the war on Gaza strip On October 7, it decided to deduct $74 million per month from it, which the Authority was transferring to Gaza, as salaries for its employees there, and a portion to be allocated to the Gaza Electricity Company.
