JERUSALEM

Israel revoked on Thursday the accreditation of Norwegian diplomats dealing with the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the move was taken in response to what it called a “flurry of anti-Israeli and unilateral steps” taken by the Norwegian government.

The ministry said the Norwegian ambassador was summoned and informed that the diplomats would have their accreditation revoked in seven days and their visas in three months.

Last May, Norway joined Spain and Ireland in recognizing Palestine as a state. Slovenia and Armenia followed suit in June.

The recognitions have angered Israel, which vowed to take measures against these countries.

Norway has a representative office in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Its diplomats, however, must pass through Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank to reach there.

Palestinians want to establish an independent state in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which is opposed by Israel.

Last month, the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) voted to reject the establishment of a Palestinian state, calling it an “existential threat” to Israel.

In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land "illegal" and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar