Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, widely considered one of Europe’s most outspoken critics of Israel, arrived in Israel on Tuesday to attend the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) conference on combating antisemitism.
It is his first visit to the country since the war in Gaza began, and no meetings were scheduled with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who is leading the summit.
Eide has repeatedly condemned Israel’s conduct in Gaza, accusing it of committing war crimes or crimes against humanity. He has also avoided calls for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Last year, he was photographed at a May Day rally in Oslo next to Mona Osman—the daughter of a Palestinian terrorist involved in a deadly 1982 attack on Jews in Paris—while she held a sign that read “F**k Israel, F**k Capitalism, F**k NATO” next to a Palestinian flag.
Eide has also publicly expressed pride in Norway’s refusal to sell arms to Israel. Though invited to the summit due to Norway’s IHRA membership, Israeli officials confirmed that Netanyahu and Sa’ar both declined meeting requests from the Norwegian diplomat. Eide’s invitation marks the first time he has been formally asked to visit since the October 7 Hamas terror attacks.
Some Israeli officials criticized the decision to invite him, calling it a diplomatic misstep. “It’s madness to let this man, who hates us, come here. We’re letting him do ‘Jew washing,’” said one senior official, referencing the act of leveraging Jewish platforms to sanitize hostile views.
Eide said he intends to use the visit to deliver three key messages: an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, increased emergency aid to Palestinians, and support for the two-state solution. “If we want to end the war in Gaza, we have to talk to those who have the power to stop it,” he said.
Eide also emphasized his opposition to antisemitism. “We will never accept a world in which Jews feel unsafe,” he said. He drew a distinction between legitimate criticism of Israeli military policy and antisemitism, adding: “The Israeli authorities can disagree with me, but they cannot accuse me of being antisemitic because I criticize the bombing of hospitals.”
He also controversially claimed that “Palestinians are paying the price for European guilt over the Holocaust.”
Eide’s visit comes amid a significant rise in antisemitic incidents in Norway following the October 7 attacks. The country’s Jewish community, which numbers about 1,500 people, has reported the highest levels of hostility since World War II. A December report from Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry found that 69% of Norwegian Jews experienced antisemitic incidents after October 2023. Norwegian public support for antisemitic views rose from 9.3% in 2022 to 11.5% in 2024.
Norway has also been criticized for withdrawing investments from Israeli companies via its sovereign wealth fund. Among the recent antisemitic incidents in the country were a torch thrown at a synagogue in April, graffiti in Bergen showing Anne Frank wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh, and desecration of the Jewish cemetery in Trondheim. The report also found that over half of Norwegians surveyed equated Israel’s treatment of Palestinians with Nazi atrocities.
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The IHRA conference, hosted in Jerusalem under Israel’s presidency of the alliance, brings together representatives from 40 countries, including foreign ministers from Norway, Albania, Hungary and Moldova. Other senior officials include the Czech deputy prime minister, Serbia’s Europe minister, Estonia’s interior minister, and deputy foreign ministers from Bosnia, Bulgaria and Latvia. Germany, Romania, the Netherlands and North Macedonia sent secretaries of state, while ambassadors from countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Ireland and Brazil were also in attendance.
The conference is led by Foreign Minister Sa’ar and includes testimony from Israeli hostage survivor Tal Shoham, as well as a signing ceremony of a Holocaust survivors’ declaration. On the second day, participants will visit Yad Vashem, led by Dani Dayan, the current IHRA president during Israel’s term. A memorial ceremony will be held in the Hall of Remembrance, followed by a tour of the museum’s archives and the Book of Names installation.
Panels will address the global rise in antisemitism following the October 7 massacre, the role of social media in spreading hate, and the increasing hostility on university campuses. Foreign ministers and special envoys will share national challenges and strategies to counter antisemitism. Organizers emphasized the importance of building global and local coalitions to confront the threat.
“This is a diplomatic success in the current climate of war,” said one Israeli official. “We weren’t sure so many countries would show up, but 15 ministerial-level delegations attended.”