The Financial Times on Tuesday revealed growing divisions within the Western bloc, as Norway's foreign minister warned that the West's refusal to hold "Israel" accountable for its atrocities in Gaza exposes deep hypocrisy in its claims to defend international law, particularly as it wages a global campaign to isolate Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Espen Barth Eide cautioned that Western governments are rapidly losing credibility across the world for applying legal norms selectively, using them as political tools against adversaries while turning a blind eye to their allies' crimes. "By very correctly criticising Russia, which has broken every rule in the book, 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.

Unlike most NATO states that continue shielding "Israel" from scrutiny, Norway, along with Spain and Ireland, formally recognized Palestine last year and has sharply condemned Tel Aviv's genocidal assault on Gaza. Barth Eide recently described the humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip as "worse than hell on earth" before attending a UN meeting in New York focused on a proposed two-state solution.

Barth Eide noted that Western leaders remain dangerously out of touch with the rest of the world. "I keep reminding my colleagues that of the 8 billion people on the planet, only about 1 billion live in the West," he said. "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."

Diplomatic Disillusionment

Norway, despite being a founding member of NATO and sharing a border with Russia, has attempted to balance its security commitments with a broader diplomatic role, having hosted the Oslo Accords between the PLO and "Israel" three decades ago. Today, however, its leadership acknowledges that the so-called peace process has long since collapsed under Israeli intransigence and military aggression.

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"We are fully cognisant that a state does not magically appear because you recognise it. That's why we all thought that recognition would be at the end of a [peace] process. But we changed our view and Macron changed the French view, [because] there isn't a process. There haven't really been talks since 2013," Barth Eide explained.

France is reportedly preparing to recognize Palestine in September, marking a potential rift within NATO and EU ranks, especially as the Western alliance continues to arm and shield "Israel" while vilifying Russia.

The European Union, paralyzed by internal divisions, has refused to impose sanctions on "Israel" despite overwhelming evidence of war crimes in Gaza. Germany, one of "Israel's" staunchest backers, has blocked any meaningful measures, determined to preserve what it sees as a "special relationship" rooted in historical guilt rather than international justice.

Impotent Accountability

While a June review of the EU-Israeli Association Agreement found "Israel" likely in breach of its human rights obligations, the only proposed consequence has been a symbolic and limited exclusion of some Israeli tech and defense companies from future funding under the Horizon Europe programme.

"Existing support would not be affected, and therefore there is no intention presently to divest," admitted a senior EU official, noting that roughly €200 million had already been granted since 2021.

"Israel's" government lashed out at even this measure, calling it "mistaken, regrettable and unjustified." Yet whether the proposal will pass remains uncertain, as EU members remain split, with many unwilling to challenge NATO's favored apartheid ally.

In contrast, Russia has continued to rally support across the world by consistently exposing Western double standards and defending Palestinian rights at international forums. As more countries begin to question the legitimacy of a Western-dominated international order, Norway's comments serve as a clear warning: the days of Western impunity may be numbered.

Read more: EU mulls sanctions on 'Israel' over Gaza atrocities