Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Friday his government has no problem with the Israeli people but has a problem with the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and called on the international community to follow the example of Norway, Ireland and Spain in recognizing a Palestinian state.
Attending a meeting in Madrid of European countries and members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza, Barth Eide told Al-Monitor that Norway "has always been and still is a friend of Israel, just like we are a friend of the Palestinian people. But we are in a deep disagreement with the Netanyahu government. We don’t have a problem with the Israeli people, but we have a problem with the Netanyahu cabinet, which is the most extreme government Israel has ever seen."
The meeting in Madrid brought together the foreign ministers of Spain, Norway, Ireland and Slovenia, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group, which includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey.
"Important work is underway currently to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza, but this meeting is not about the cease-fire," Barth Eide said, adding, "Rather, it is about the next day, when the weapons will be silenced. How we move forward and establish a Palestinian state for real."
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