Countries criticizing Russia are often “very quiet” about Israel’s military campaign in the Palestinian enclave, Norwegian FM Espen Barth Eide has said
Western nations that condemn Russia’s military operation against Ukraine often hold back on criticizing Israel’s Gaza offensive, which has produced a major humanitarian crisis, Norway’s foreign minister has told the Financial Times.
In an interview on Tuesday, Espen Barth Eide stated that Western countries are undermining their credibility by treating the two conflicts in a completely different manner and engaging in cherry-picking.
”By very correctly criticizing Russia… but until recently being very quiet on Gaza — that tells other parts of the world that we are not really seeing these as absolute norms but more like a menu that we can pick arguments from,” he said.
He described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “worse than hell on earth” and stressed that many nations suspect the West of double standards. “We would be well advised to try to understand, not agree, what they think, and what many out there think is an inconsistent application of international law,” he added.
Following a surprise attack by Hamas on Israel in October 2023, the Jewish state unleashed a military campaign in Gaza. The hostilities have led to tens of thousands of civilian deaths, a humanitarian crisis, and unprecedented destruction.
While Western nations have sounded the alarm about the situation in Gaza, it wasn’t until May 2025 that the UK, French, and Canadian governments issued a statement condemning Israel’s military operations.
In addition, France, Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Slovenia, recently moved to officially recognize the State of Palestine, with the UK also warning of impending recognition unless Israel ceases hostilities.
The US, a key Israel ally, has been a notable holdout on condemning West Jerusalem, denouncing the wave of recognitions as a boon for Hamas and a setback for peace. In June, the US also vetoed a UN Security Council resolution urging a “permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” arguing that the document does not call for Hamas to disarm and leave the enclave.
Western nations have largely avoided imposing sanctions on Israel, in contrast to the unprecedented sanctions they hit Russia with in 2022.
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