Ambassador Miryam Shomrat had harsh words for the popular royal family, saying, "A gesture from the royal household last Friday, during the Jewish New Year's celebration, would have been appropriate. It would especially have been a sign of solidarity from the royal family if they had come to the synagogue after it was fired on."
Yesterday (Tuesday), however, she issued a press release apologizing for her remarks. "It is with great dismay that I have understood that certain of my answers regarding the shooting upon the synagogue on Sunday a week ago have been presented as criticism of His Majesty the King," Shomrat said. She insisted that there was never any intention of criticism of any member of the royal family. "I deeply regret that this was the impression created by the media," she said.
Norwegian Foreign Ministry communication adviser Anders Rikter said the matter was closed as far as it was concerned.
The synagogue, located in downtown Oslo, was hit with a barrage of bullets from at least one gunman in the early-morning hours of September 17, but no one was hurt. In other attacks this past summer, a member of the Jewish community was attacked and the synagogue was vandalized.
Shomrat's original comments, made during a Norwegian television interview Monday evening, were considered a serious faux pas in the Scandinavian nation, where criticism of the royal family is not considered socially acceptable. Norwegian officials, news outlets and citizens, including members of the 1,500-member Jewish community of Norway, expressed criticism of the Israeli ambassador for her remarks.
Norway's Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said, "I think this is an unsuitable remark for an ambassador from another country in Norway."
The president of the Norwegian parliament, Thorbjorn Jagland, said the critique of the royal family was not "fair," noting that it is "highly unusual for the royal house to ever make any declarations following specific events."
Anne Sender, leader of the Mosaic Religious Community, which owns the synagogue that was attacked, told the Norwegian Aftenposten newspaper, "We would never have dreamed of taking a stand against the royal family." She, too, however, later accepted the ambassador's apology.
"We had a long conversation. She had understood that she had gone too far and she offered an apology," Sender said.
In response to the diplomatic uproar, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ilana Ravid on Tuesday expressed firm support for Shomrat and questioned the intensity of rebukes by Norwegian officials.
"Her words were misunderstood," said Ravid. "Furthermore, we cannot ignore the ongoing and unbalanced criticism heard in Norway towards Israel. We support the ambassador in her wishes to express our concerns on this matter."
Spokespersons for the Norwegian royal family declined to comment on the incident.
Yesterday (Tuesday), however, she issued a press release apologizing for her remarks. "It is with great dismay that I have understood that certain of my answers regarding the shooting upon the synagogue on Sunday a week ago have been presented as criticism of His Majesty the King," Shomrat said. She insisted that there was never any intention of criticism of any member of the royal family. "I deeply regret that this was the impression created by the media," she said.
Norwegian Foreign Ministry communication adviser Anders Rikter said the matter was closed as far as it was concerned.
The synagogue, located in downtown Oslo, was hit with a barrage of bullets from at least one gunman in the early-morning hours of September 17, but no one was hurt. In other attacks this past summer, a member of the Jewish community was attacked and the synagogue was vandalized.
Shomrat's original comments, made during a Norwegian television interview Monday evening, were considered a serious faux pas in the Scandinavian nation, where criticism of the royal family is not considered socially acceptable. Norwegian officials, news outlets and citizens, including members of the 1,500-member Jewish community of Norway, expressed criticism of the Israeli ambassador for her remarks.
Norway's Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said, "I think this is an unsuitable remark for an ambassador from another country in Norway."
The president of the Norwegian parliament, Thorbjorn Jagland, said the critique of the royal family was not "fair," noting that it is "highly unusual for the royal house to ever make any declarations following specific events."
Anne Sender, leader of the Mosaic Religious Community, which owns the synagogue that was attacked, told the Norwegian Aftenposten newspaper, "We would never have dreamed of taking a stand against the royal family." She, too, however, later accepted the ambassador's apology.
"We had a long conversation. She had understood that she had gone too far and she offered an apology," Sender said.
In response to the diplomatic uproar, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ilana Ravid on Tuesday expressed firm support for Shomrat and questioned the intensity of rebukes by Norwegian officials.
"Her words were misunderstood," said Ravid. "Furthermore, we cannot ignore the ongoing and unbalanced criticism heard in Norway towards Israel. We support the ambassador in her wishes to express our concerns on this matter."
Spokespersons for the Norwegian royal family declined to comment on the incident.