- Nov 22, 2010
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Top Norwegian politicians on both the right and left sharpened their tone towards Israel on Saturday, deploring its ongoing attacks on Gaza and its civilian population. As demonstrations against the attacks took place around Norway, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Israel is “going too far,” while the Conservatives’ leader of the foreign affairs and defense committee in Parliament, Ine Eriksen Søreide, thinks Israel is now breaking the rules of war.
“These rules are being broken now,” Søreide said, “and (Israel’s) massive blockade of Gaza, which is hindering humanitarian aid, is a violation of the rule of law.” Eide fully agrees, stressing that there’s “a clear line between the military and civilians in a war.”
“The situation (in Gaza) is catastrophic,” Eide told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) Saturday afternoon, “and that applies for everyone, unfortunately also the Norwegian citizens who are there.”
“I’m deepy worried that the conflict will spread to the West Bank and then possibly to Lebanon and farther in the region,” Eide told news bureau NTB. “This is extremely serious, and there’s all reason for us, the EU, Arab countries, the US and everyone else interested in building solid international support for a lasting solution. We need to discuss what’s needed to revive and restart a real peace process.”
“These rules are being broken now,” Søreide said, “and (Israel’s) massive blockade of Gaza, which is hindering humanitarian aid, is a violation of the rule of law.” Eide fully agrees, stressing that there’s “a clear line between the military and civilians in a war.”
“The situation (in Gaza) is catastrophic,” Eide told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) Saturday afternoon, “and that applies for everyone, unfortunately also the Norwegian citizens who are there.”
“I’m deepy worried that the conflict will spread to the West Bank and then possibly to Lebanon and farther in the region,” Eide told news bureau NTB. “This is extremely serious, and there’s all reason for us, the EU, Arab countries, the US and everyone else interested in building solid international support for a lasting solution. We need to discuss what’s needed to revive and restart a real peace process.”
Thousands of Norwegians, meanwhile, demonstrated all over the country for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. “It’s absolutely incredible that Israel carries on with this (attacks on Gaza),” said the leader of the Palestina Committee in Norway’s northern city of Tromsø, Inga Bårdsen Tøllefsen. She thinks Norwegian politicians should now consider sanctions against Israel, in an effort to halt all the attacks that have left civilians and foreigners in Gaza without food, water, medicine and electricity, and forced to try to survive in the bombed-out ruins of former homes. On Saturday most everyone in Gaza had lost telephone and Internet connections as well after heavy missile attacks during the night. Only a few trucks waiting to deliver humanitarian aid have been allowed into southern Gaza.
Norway: 'Israel going too far' in Gaza - Norway's News in English — www.newsinenglish.no
Top Norwegian politicians on both the right and left sharpened their tone towards Israel on Saturday, deploring its ongoing attacks on Gaza and its civilian population. As demonstrations against the attacks took place around Norway, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Israel is...
www.newsinenglish.no