U.S. Ambassador (Wikileaks): Norwegian Government Sympathetic to Hamas

By Barry Rubin

You might remember the attack on me by the Norwegian foreign minister, deputy foreign minister, and ambassador after I pointed out the fact that the country's government and especially its Labor party showed sympathy for terrorist groups, especially Hamas.

Norway's media and government were angry that someone might dare criticize their policies. Criticism, as they define it, is what they get to do to other countries, especially Israel.

But guess what? A new Wikileaks release shows us that the U.S. ambassador to Norway reported precisely what I said. According to Ambassador Benson K. Whitney in 2009: 
"Although the Government of Norway would deny it, there are clear signs that contacts with Hamas go beyond a tactical desire for dialogue to a level of sympathy for Hamas positions. "

He added that, for example, the foreign minister explained that Hamas couldn't be expected to recognize Israel since it didn't know what borders Israel was claiming, and concluded, "While the Foreign Minister expresses some sympathy for the Hamas position only in unguarded moments other prominent Norwegians go further."

Note: This material cannot be written in the Jerusalem Post because the newspaper has forbidden my writing about Norway, lest that government complains about my revealing the truth regarding its policies. 

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