Hilde Henriksen Waage challenges Norway's self-image as a peace-seeking nation – and puts Støre on the spot

For decades, we've happily bought into the story of Norway as a kind of peace superpower. From Gaza to Guatemala, via Sri Lanka and Colombia – Norwegians have been everywhere, cap in hand and wallets bulging with oil money. But behind the façade of good intentions, historian Hilde Henriksen Waage has spent over twenty years digging up material that puts cracks in this self-image. Now the debate has exploded into the open, and the Prime Minister is being forced onto the defensive.

A scholar who can't be bought off

Waage, a senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies and a professor at the University of Oslo, has made a speciality of delving into archives others can't be bothered to open. She's gained access to the innermost circles of Norwegian diplomacy, and what she finds there doesn't fit the glossy picture. In her research on Norway's involvement in the Middle East, she uncovers a pattern where Norwegian actors have often been more concerned with alliances with the US and Israel than with pushing for a fair two-state solution. It's an uncomfortable claim, but she has the documentation to back it up.

What makes Hilde Henriksen Waage so remarkable is that she doesn't just pick at minor details. She challenges the very foundation of Norwegian foreign policy: the idea that we are a 'neutral' and 'moral' beacon. When she discusses the Oslo Accords, she reminds us that they were largely negotiated in secret, without grassroots involvement, and that the Palestinian side was pressured into accepting terms they could scarcely live with. This isn't the history we grew up with.

The backlash is immediate

In the wake of recent interviews and lectures, Hilde Henriksen Waage has ignited the political debate. Several of her criticisms point directly at the current government. In a recent conversation with key political sources, it becomes clear that Jonas Gahr Støre is being pressed to provide a better explanation. What did he know? What should he have known? Støre, himself a former foreign minister and state secretary, is part of the very establishment Waage is now questioning. She has examined documents from the period and asserts that the explanations given by Norwegian authorities simply don't hold water. Several sources describe them as "outright lies" – strong language in Norwegian political discourse.

This is no longer just an academic discussion at Blindern. It has become a hot potato in the corridors of the Storting. When one of the country's foremost experts on peace diplomacy says the public has been misled, politicians have to step up. Støre has been reticent so far, but the pressure is mounting.

What exactly is Waage saying?

To grasp the gravity of it, we can highlight some of the core points in Hilde Henriksen Waage's research and critique:

• The myth of neutrality: Norway has never been a neutral actor in conflicts; it has always had its own interests – often tied to the NATO alliance and trade.
• Hidden agendas: Examination of archives shows that Norwegian diplomats have at times withheld information from parties in a conflict, which undermines trust in the mediator role.
• Lack of self-criticism: Official Norway has refused to reckon with failed strategies, particularly in the Middle East. Instead, we celebrate ourselves as the ultimate peace-seeking nation.
• The language of power: Waage points out that it's often the stronger parties whose views prevail in Norwegian diplomacy, while the weaker ones are left with promises that are never kept.

These points are explosive. Because if Waage is right, Norway's role in the world isn't just about goodwill, but also about power politics and accommodation. And that's precisely why she becomes so dangerous for those in power.

A necessary wake-up call

Whether you agree with her or not, Hilde Henriksen Waage forces us to take a long, hard look at ourselves. What is Norwegian foreign policy really about? Are we the altruistic helpers we like to believe, or just a small state adapting to major powers? This week, the debate has raged back and forth, and it will undoubtedly continue. One thing is certain: the scholar from the University of Oslo has managed to touch a raw nerve deep in the Norwegian national psyche. And once the stitches start to unravel, it's hard to sew it all back together again.

Now, it remains to be seen whether Støre and co. can provide the answers that Waage and the public are demanding. Because history has a tendency to catch up with us – and right now, the historian is the one knocking on the door.