Haaretz
Tevet 9, 5766
Norway's Finance minister
Kristin Halvorsen on Friday evening publicly apologized for her earlier
call on citizens to boycott Israeli products, Israel Radio reported on
Saturday.
Halvorsen's call drew fierce criticism from Israel as
well as Norway, with Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store sending his Israeli
counterpart, Silvan Shalom a letter restating Norway's policy towards
Israel.
Halvorsen's call "was made in her capacity as party leader
of SV," one of the two parties which form the government together with the
Labor Party, Store wrote.
"It has never been and will never be the
position of the Norwegian government to advocate any such policy toward
Israel. Norway is a friend of Israel based on long historic ties," he
wrote.
Store sent a copy of the letter to U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice.