Palestinians threatened by an Israel 'determined on killing'

Palestinians endangered in the West Bank and Gaza, Marie Antoinette Sedin tells The National

Israel's government is defying growing recognition of Palestinian statehood because it is determined to kill as many Palestinians as possible before forcing the rest out of their homeland, Palestine's ambassador to Norway has warned.

France and allies are coming together to recognise Palestinian statehood at the upcoming UN General Assembly, and stand in the way of an extremist government.

“We are witnessing ethnic cleaning and a genocide war not only in Gaza but against our existence in the West Bank and Jerusalem,” Marie Antoinette Sedin said in an interview from Oslo.

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“We are threatened even in the homes we still have. This extremist Israeli government wants to kick out all of us. Get rid of us, take the land.”

The decision to take a stand against Israel's record is not without costs. Norway recognised Palestine in 2024, around the same time as Ireland, Spain and Slovenia did so. In retaliation, Israel expelled Norwegian diplomats and blocked Oslo’s role as a mediator with the Palestinian Authority over tax transfers.

“Norway is not accepted as a neutral mediator any more,” said Ms Sedin. She said she is in regular contact with Norwegian authorities on the matter.

A self-described “refugee child”, Ms Sedin, who was born in a Palestinian camp in Lebanon, highlighted the dangers of Washington's apparent support of statements by Israeli cabinet members about the need to expel Gazans.

Israeli police tackle demonstrators calling for the Gaza war to end, near the Israel-Gaza border. Reuters

“Israel has been under full impunity from the US all the time, and that's why they are still going on. They don't care for the EU,” she said. “What's going on now is beyond our imagination. It's unbelievable. Nobody understands how far it has to go.”

US backing

There are fears the US could back an expansionist project by Israel in Gaza, despite the support for a two-state solution from Washington's allies. Earlier this month, the Washington Post leaked the Trump administration's plans for “voluntary” relocation of Palestinians from Gaza to build a “riviera of the Middle East”.

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On Thursday, the US vetoed for the sixth time a resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages, saying it failed to condemn Hamas. Earlier this week, a UN Commission found that Israel had committed genocide in the Gaza strip.

Ms Sedin, who keeps a portrait of late PLO leader Yasser Arafat on the wall of her office, said that Israel has not engaged in good faith with Palestinian leaders since the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin by a Jewish extremist after signing the Oslo Accords.

Citing the acceleration of settlement building and establishing Israeli checkpoints since the early 2000s, Ms Sedin said the more “we stretch our hands for peace”, the more extreme governments in Israel become. “They say we are human animals, insects to be crossed out. They say we are not Palestinian just Arab. It makes me feel sick.”

Israel's killing of more than 65,000 Gazans and close to 1,000 in the occupied West Bank, according to the UN, was described by Ms Sedin as “bulldozer” work. The latest war erupted after around 1,200 Israelis died in Hamas-led attacks in October 2023. “It's like a bulldozer that's just taking everything,” she said.

The US has also backed Israel's lobbying campaign against Palestinian recognition by not issuing a visa to President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the UN General Assembly. Mr Abbas may give a speech by video-conference.

Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin shakes hands with PLO leader Yasser Arafat at the signing of the Oslo Accords. Photo by MPI/Getty Images

EU institutions have had little influence on the conflict due to internal divisions among the bloc's 27 countries, However, single nations such as the Netherlands and Spain have issued sanctions on extremist Israeli ministers or suspended arms deals with Israel.

France, which has spurred around 10 other countries to recognise Palestine alongside it on Monday, is bracing for a fallout with Israel that may include the closure of its consulate in Jerusalem.

Israel says that recognising Palestine is a reward to Hamas for the October 2023 attacks. French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed back, saying Hamas never wanted a two-state solution, which is the only option for peace.

“I hope that all countries will recognise the state of Palestine, so we can put Israel under accountability and stop these atrocities and crimes that Israel is committing,” Ms Sedin said.

“We cannot live like this, just waking up in the morning, and instead of having nice coffee, we just count the dead and injured.”