Staff at the Israeli Embassy in Oslo have been allowed another five years to remove an illegal security wall that the embassy constructed around its property just behind the Royal Palace. They must meet strict deadlines, however, to find a new location.
News bureau NTB reported this week that the Israelis must document by the end of 2012 that they have found new quarters. By February 16, 2013 they must have sent in either a rezoning request or applications for construction permits at the new location.
Two years later, in 2015, the illegal wall around the current embassy on Parkveien must have been dismantled.
The demands come after years of quarreling over the wall, which violates current zoning regulations for the area and has infuriated the embassy’s neighbours. The neighbours are also weary of the repeated road closures and traffic disruptions caused by demonstrations that the embassy attracts.
Embassy staff has also appeared reluctant to move from their present, controversial location. Officials at Norway’s Foreign Ministry claim they’ve been trying to help the Israeli embassy find a new, more secure home.
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