Eva Jung Bowen (@evajungbowen)

When the Norwegian Labor Party was Israel's best friend On November 20, 1949, a plane crashed in Hurumskogen during stormy weather while approaching Fornebu. On board were 27 Jewish children. Only Isac Allal survived. The Hurum crash strengthened the strong commitment to Israel within the Norwegian Labor Party. The 27 Jewish children were on their way from Brussels to their new homes in Israel. The accident made a profound impact on the Norwegian people. Several of the children froze to death before they were found. The Labor Party’s secretary Haakon Lie had become a warm supporter of Israel after close contact with Jewish organizations in the United States during the war. After the crash, he spearheaded a fundraising campaign to build a Norwegian moshav (village) in Israel, called “Moshav Norway.” Materials for building homes in the moshav were shipped from Norway. Lie had significant influence on the pro-Israel sentiment within the Norwegian labor movement. He described himself as a close friend of Israel’s Prime Minister Golda Meir. The organization "Israel in the Norwegian Labor Movement" (VINA) also raised funds for a memorial stone for the children, which was erected in Israel. Martin O. Tranmæl (pictured at the top of the article) was a central figure in the Norwegian labor movement during the first half of the 20th century. He was the de facto leader of the Labor Party during the interwar years. He was also a close friend of Israel (see the picture at the top of the article). Haakon Lie was one of four key figures who led the rebuilding of the Labor Party and the creation of the modern welfare state after the war. Einar Gerhardsen was the prime minister and party leader, Konrad Nordahl was the leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), and Olav Larssen was the ideologue and editor of Arbeiderbladet. Haakon Lie was the driving force in the party organization as the Labor Party’s secretary from the fall of 1945, a position he held until he stepped down in 1969. When the UN recognized the re-establishment of Israel in 1949, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry bureaucracy was strongly opposed to Norway recognizing the new state. It was the Labor Party leaders, Israel’s best friends, who pushed through Norway’s vote in favor of the sensational re-establishment. In this context, the preacher Rein Seehus played a crucial role. During a meeting in Norway, Aage Samuelsen delivered a message in tongues, and another person interpreted it. The message led Seehus to the UN headquarters, where he was a clear and decisive voice for Israel during the UN member states’ vote. After the war, Haakon Lie maintained close contact with the labor movement in Israel, particularly with Israeli Prime Ministers David Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir, and Moshe Dayan. The Labor Party’s Trygve Lie (not to be confused with Haakon Lie, mentioned earlier) was appointed the first Secretary-General of the United Nations in 1946. He was a good friend of Israel and a driving force behind Israel’s re-establishment in 1948—Jews in New York referred to him as “Israel’s godfather.” In 1958, Israel purchased heavy water from Norway, which enabled the Jewish state to develop its own nuclear weapons. The Labor Party’s Jens Chr. Hauge led the process, supported by the party leadership. Haakon Lie (Labor Party), Trygve Bratteli (Labor Party), and Kåre Kristiansen (Christian Democratic Party) have all been honored with their own memorial forests in Israel. https://x.com/Herr_Bowen/status/1955952769128394753