:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mentormedier/GF4EYOSQIC3N5IIESF5CVKA7LE.jpg "Red wants Israel’s answer from the government – Dagsavisen")
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague decided in January to initiate an investigation into Israel for possible violations of the UN Genocide Convention.
At the same time, the ICJ ordered Israel to introduce immediate measures to prevent genocide.
– This is not a point of view, but a binding decision under international law that Israel is obliged to comply with, said Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap) in a comment on the ruling.
Eide emphasized that Norway would “go through its interaction with Israel” … “so that we will make sure that there are no Norwegian actions that will be contrary to what follows from the court”.
Requires response
Red has now advanced a representative proposal in the Storting where they are calling for the results of the review Eide announced.
The Storting must urgently ask the government to come up with “an account of Norway’s obligations under the Genocide Convention where these are relevant for Norwegian interaction with Israel”, demand representatives Marie Sneve Martinussen and Bjørnar Moxnes.
The two also propose that Norway must ban “trade in goods and services produced on illegally occupied land, or from companies that contribute to violations of international law and human rights in illegally occupied areas”.
Rødt further demands a ban on “all Norwegian deliveries of weapons, weapon components and multi-purpose goods that can contribute to genocide” and asks the government to support the work to get Palestine admitted as a full member of the UN.
Downvoted
Whether the party will get a majority in the Storting on the demands is unclear.
For the time being, the government has contented itself with discouraging trade with the Israeli settlements, which The UN security council have determined to be illegal and created in violation of international law.
In February, the governing parties voted down a proposal from Red, SV and Venstrewho asked the government to “prevent Norway from importing goods from illegal settlements”.
The majority in the Storting has also not found the time to recognize Palestine as a state, but in November last year adopted a compromise in which it was stated that this will happen “provided the recognition contributes positively to the peace process”.
Red indicates that 140 countries have now recognized Palestine as an independent state, and that Spain recently announced that it will do so by July.
No obligation
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) was visited by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday and was then asked whether Norway will now also recognize Palestine.
– We think along the same lines. We are ready to recognize the Palestinian state and their rightful place in the UN. The question is when, and we are closely coordinated there, was Støre’s answer.
He would not make any commitment regarding early recognition.
– I do not rule it out, but we have not made a decision, and it is a very dynamic situation in the region, said Støre.
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