Norwegians? Who needs Norwegians? Explaining the Oslo Back Channel: Norway's Political Past in the Middle East

This report examines whether Norway's political past in the Middle East had any influence on successful opening of the secret Oslo Back Channel. Few parties have ever been enmeshed in a more vicious spiral of hostilities than the Israelis and their Palestinian neighbours. But through secret diplomacy and by playing a role far out of proportion to the country's size, Norway succeeded where all others had failed, managing to get the old enemies to agree to both gradual Israeli withdrawal from some of the Occupied Territories and local Palestinian self-determination. What had made Norway, of all countries, suitable for such an extraordinary task?