Norwegian police have closed an investigation into Prof. Bassem Hussein, who called Hamas’ October 7 massacre “the most beautiful thing that has happened in our century,” saying the statement does not constitute a criminal offense.
The decision, issued Wednesday, drew anger from Israeli and pro-Israel activists in Norway, who said they intend to appeal.
Prof. Bassem Hussein
Hussein, a Palestinian-born engineering professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, known as NTNU, in the city of Trondheim, has previously led pro-Palestinian protests on campus. He also set up a protest encampment outside the university where he teaches, demanding that it sever academic and industrial ties with Israel.
His family lives in Gaza, and he has said in the past that they are staying in a refugee camp in the northern part of the Strip and that he lives in constant fear for their safety.
The remarks about October 7 were made during an event at Norway’s largest university and later published on YouTube. Israel’s acting ambassador to Norway, Eytan Halon, responded to the video on X, calling it “a shocking glorification of terror” by the professor.
“This Hamas supporter cannot continue teaching Norway's students,” Halon wrote.
Police in Trøndelag district informed the complainants that “the reported conduct is not punishable.” They said the decision was based on a legal review under Norwegian law and that the statement did not meet the threshold required for criminal prosecution.
In an official letter, police said the decision can be appealed within three weeks to a higher prosecutorial authority.
The activist group StoppNRK, which argued that Hussein’s remarks amounted to incitement and praise for terrorism, said it plans to appeal the decision.
The group said the police decision sends a message of tolerance toward expressions of support for Hamas.
“It is unbelievable that the police closed the case,” said On Alpeleg, an Israeli living in Norway and active in the group.
“It is no longer safe to be Jewish in Norway,” he said. “Hamas is not only considered a legal organization here, but professors are also allowed to glorify and praise it. We will appeal this outrageous decision through the relevant legal channels.”
One of Israel’s most hostile European governments
Israel’s embassy in Norway has been operating without an official ambassador since May 2024, when Avi Nir was recalled to Israel for consultations after Norway formally recognized a Palestinian state.
About six months ago, ynet reported that Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar was considering closing Israel’s embassy in Oslo after the left’s election victory in Norway.
Since October 7, Norway has become one of the European countries most hostile toward Israel, alongside Ireland and Spain. Israeli officials see the Norwegian government as one of the most extreme they have had to deal with during the war.
One prominent example was Norway’s move at the International Court of Justice in The Hague over Israel’s decision to halt UNRWA activity inside Israel.
In addition, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, announced in August 2025 that it would stop investing in Israeli banks, including First International Bank of Israel, Bank Leumi, Mizrahi Tefahot and Bank Hapoalim.
The fund also said it would divest from the American engineering equipment company Caterpillar, which makes the D9 bulldozers used by the IDF Combat Engineering Corps in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
An Israeli Foreign Ministry official said at the time that Norway had taken something that was supposed to be professional, practical and economic, and turned it into a political issue.
“They are injecting anti-Israel politicization into the wealth fund,” the official said.