Speech by the Prime Minister at the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

Checked against delivery

Someone must stand guard over the night of the world

Your Majesty,
Your Royal Highness,
Madam Ambassador,
Friends,                           

In the words of the hymn we have just sung: ‘Someone must stand guard over the night of the world. Someone must have faith in the midst of darkness. Someone must be brother to the weak’.

I have to admit that it is hard to have faith – in the midst of the darkness surrounding us now.

We are witness to the enormous suffering that has been inflicted on our fellow human beings – every day, in a darkness that obscures the light – for weeks, for months, in Gaza, on the West Bank, the bombing in southern Lebanon, the rockets fired at northern Israel; causing fear, bringing destruction and anguish on a scale that we could not imagine was possible.

We are growing numb to it all.

We flip the page. We turn off the screens.

We are barely able to comprehend the scope of the trauma and devastation.

But, my friends, we must not – and we cannot – let the feeling of powerlessness gain the upper hand. We must not – we cannot – become indifferent.

We must not accept that this is just how it is, because there have always been rumblings of tensions or full-scale conflicts in the Middle East.

No, we must not allow ourselves to be overcome by apathy.

I would therefore like to thank Oslo Cathedral for this initiative. For bringing us together today on the International Day of Solidarity for the Palestinian People, 29 November – right before the start of Advent.  

Advent is a time of light – light in the darkness, in this church. And of the hope in Bethlehem – in today’s Palestine, where the Christian faith began. Our church has its roots in the Middle East.

 

‘Someone must stand guard over the night of the world.’ In Norway, there are many people who are standing watch, many people who care, many who are showing their solidarity, many who are paying attention and are deeply engaged in the situation of the Palestinian people.

I would like to thank all of you. For your support and your commitment and for expressing your feelings – here in the church today, outside on the streets, in the media, in places where people meet and in places of worship.

Many people in Norway have close family, relatives, friends and colleagues in the Middle East.

Many have lost loved ones – or someone they knew.

Many know someone who has suffered a permanent injury, children who have been orphaned, people whose lives are in ruins – with no homes, hospitals, schools left, and where all the other elements that go into the making of a society have been destroyed. People who have been forced to flee, out into another cold winter.

In her book A Gaza Life, Norwegian author Marte Heian-Engdal writes: ‘You need only think of a single child you know, to understand that each one of them is precious.’

So let us speak openly about this:

We are deeply distressed.

We feel powerless.

And we have no words to describe what is happening.

So far away, and yet so close. A building there explodes and we see it and hear it – at virtually the same time – on our screens, unfiltered and heartbreaking.

There would be something seriously wrong with us if we were not affected, upset, appalled, distressed, and yes – angered by the images we are seeing every single day.

And by what we saw on 7 October 2023, when over 1 200 people were killed in Israel in a planned terrorist attack. A day that reactivated the trauma of the Jewish world – from the Holocaust and atrocities of earlier times.

And for the Palestinians, the war that has followed has reopened deep, historic wounds that conjure up memories of violence and forced displacement.

 

‘Someone must be brother to the weak.’ – And we can be a brother, a sister, a fellow human being, also from afar.

Here at home, we can be compassionate, and we can show our solidarity for all of those – and, they are many –who are in need of our care here in Norway.

Because they really do need us. That Palestinian friend who has lost many relatives in Gaza. The colleague who has not heard from her friends in southern Lebanon. The Jewish family who knows one of the hostages still being held captive.

Many of you here in the Cathedral today represent Norwegian congregations that have sister churches in Palestine. We know that you, too, are deeply concerned because the Christian Palestinians are living under extreme pressure from many quarters.

In that historic country, with its holy sites, where multiple religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – and several nations and peoples have coexisted for centuries, and must be able to do so in the future as well. There is no alternative.

 

So yes, ‘someone must be brother to the weak’.

This is not a political gathering, but I would like to make it clear that Norway and the Norwegian Government are doing everything we can, in political forums, in the region, in the United Nations and together with other countries, to demand an end to the hostilities, a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages and the provision of the necessary humanitarian assistance.

We demand that the civilian population, the sick and the wounded be provided with the protection, food and medical care they need.

We demand that the warring parties respect international law. Because when the principles of humanitarian law are being violated – as is the case now – then, yes, we have crossed the line into barbarism.

Many Norwegians are directly involved in efforts in Gaza and on the West Bank – in organisations, as aid workers and health personnel. I commend them for their work. They are brave and capable, and they are communicating what they experience to us.

Norway is to play an active role in making the Palestinian state – which we have now formally recognised – a reality, in the context of a two-state solution. This is the only viable path – even though there may still be a long way to go – to achieve lasting peace and security for both the Israelis and the Palestinians.  

There will only be lasting peace when everyone, Palestinians and Israelis alike, have equal rights. It will only be safe in Israel and Palestine when everyone is safe.

 

Friends,

The situation in the Middle East has heightened tensions and led to a sharper tone in the public debate here at home. This is noticeable at events and demonstrations, in comment fields, on social media, and in the street.

People are being threatened and harassed – and we are talking about Muslims, Palestinians, friends of Palestine, friends of Israel, Jews, Christians, and other individuals from all walks of life – because of their views or their identities.

Both antisemitism and Islamophobia are on the rise in our communities.

To the imams who are here today – and thank you for joining us in the church – this is a situation you well know.

People are afraid.

And I encourage you – especially those of you who are religious leaders – to speak out against racism and discrimination – against both antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Because we know that these discriminatory, misanthropic attitudes reinforce each other. Combating them, as individuals and as a community, opens the door to greater freedom, greater security.

We, the political leaders, also have a special responsibility for what we say, no matter where we are, in the public debate.

Each and every one of us has a responsibility for helping to curtail the growing polarisation and reduce escalating tensions in our society.

By showing respect for all people, regardless of their religion or other forms of affiliation, or their opinions.

By being generous and tolerant, and broadminded in our approach to one another.

And by carefully choosing our words, without seeking to provoke, incite or agitate.

This is my message to everyone, in all communities I meet, everywhere I go.

Norway is a country based on openness and mutual trust. This is a part of our country’s DNA. But as valuable as this legacy is, it does not make us immune to disrespectful comments and discrimination.

Islamophobic and antisemitic attitudes, built on hate, are – and will always be – reprehensible.

Norwegian society is being put to the test.

Are we doing enough to safeguard our minorities?

Do we provide protection to those we disagree with?

Do we listen to the voices we do not want to hear?

Do we show enough concern for the people among us who have lost their loved ones in Palestine, or Israel, or in Lebanon?

 

In closing, I would like to quote the joint statement issued on 19 September 2024 by the leadership forum of the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities in Norway. In the words of this group, which we are very fortunate to have:

‘We stand together here, speaking with one voice. Together we insist on the right of all people to live and be safe. We desire peace and freedom for both the Palestinian and the Israeli people in the Middle East, without it being achieved at the expense of the other party.’

Your Majesty, friends,

Let us stand guard over the night of the world together.

Let us give each other security – here in Norway – and let us work together to enable others to live in security as well.

Let us not lose sight of the light.

For someone has to have faith in the midst of the darkness – and pay attention.

And as we light a candle today, it is to counter darkness, with hope and prayers for peace.