The Norwegian government announced this Sunday (February 8) the immediate dismissal of Mona Juul, one of the country’s most influential diplomats, following the release of documents linking her to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Juul, which played a historic role in mediating the Oslo Accords between Israel and Palestine, resigned as ambassador to Jordan and Iraq in the wake of a scandal that shakes the foundations of Nordic diplomacy.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide — who shares the same political affiliation as Juul, the Labor Party (Arbeiderpartiet) — classified the decision as “correct and necessary.” According to the minister, Juul’s contacts with Epstein demonstrated a “serious error of judgment” on the part of his party comrade, making it impossible for him to maintain the trust necessary to carry out his duties.
The investigations gained momentum with the release of new documents by the US Department of Justice. According to the Norwegian press, Jeffrey Epstein — who committed suicide in a New York prison in 2019 — he left an inheritance of more than eight million euros to Mona Juul’s two children and her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen.
Political and diplomatic past
Mona Juul is not just a career diplomat. His trajectory is deeply rooted in Norwegian politics. In 2000, Juul served as State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the first government of Jens Stoltenberg, under the aegis of the Labor Party. Her husband, Rød-Larsen, also held ministerial positions in Labor governments, cementing the couple as one of the “royal families” of Norwegian center-left diplomacy and politics.
Juul’s downfall is particularly symbolic given its role in secret negotiations in the 1990s that led to the historic handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian authority leader Yasser Arafat. Now, that legacy is shadowed by one of the most infamous figures of the 21st century.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that dialogue with Juul will continue as part of the ongoing investigation to determine the full extent of the links and whether there were any violations of the rules of conduct for public servants.
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