Tight security and political tension hang over key Norway v Israel World Cup qualifier

It will be the most high-security sports event in Norway since the Winter Olympics in 1994. Anti-terror measures are in place throughout Oslo; a no-fly zone will be implemented in the skies above Ullevaal Stadium and through all the tension it could be easy to forget that the national team are within touching distance of a first World Cup appearance for 27 years. Beating Israel would put them on the verge but the visitors’ presence has added multiple layers of complexity and controversy. That will be clear on Saturday afternoon, when a crowd of several thousand is expected to march peacefully from the centre of Oslo to a stage set up near the ground. It has been organised by the Palestine Committee in Norway under the slogan “Red card for Israel” and other bodies will be holding their own protests too. Outside Grønland metro station, posters of unclear provenance advertised a separate demonstration under the name “Stop the national match”. The authorities have been preparing for this occasion since the teams were drawn together more than a year ago. Related: Israel in line for World Cup qualifying reprieve even if Uefa imposes ban Israel are used to this: they are more than accustomed to the heightened environment around their matches and the enhanced level of security. “Not much higher than usual,” said their captain, Eli Dasa, which in practice is understood to mean 16 Mossad agents will be present. Nonetheless the added edge around this particular fixture has been inescapable. It was evident in the grilling, much of it hostile, dished out by Israeli journalists to the Norwegian Football Federation president, Lise Klaveness, on Friday afternoon. The NFF’s stance that Israel should be banned from international football, repeated publicly by Klaveness, has been made more stridently than that of any other European nation and it is one reason for a souring of relations. A decision to donate the proceeds from Saturday’s game to Doctors Without Borders’ work in Gaza also drew an affronted response from the Israeli Football Association, which felt a point was being made. Uefa was close to voting on a ban for Israel, which would not have applied to Fifa-run World Cup qualifiers without the global governing body following suit, after the United Nations concluded damningly that the state has committed genocide in Gaza. That idea was put on hold as Donald Trump’s peace plan gathered momentum last week. Klaveness repeated several times that she had not been the primary driving force behind those moves and reiterated, too, that the illegal presence of Israeli teams in occupied Palestinian territory is the reason for her position. “It’s not an effort to ban Israel [in particular], it’s about a rules-based system,” she said. “Like all people, we’re very happy there is a peace agreement. It’s more important than the game that the bombs stop and the hostages go home. When we’ve talked about sanctions it’s about breaches of Fifa law. That should be a continued discussion.” The NFF has never considered taking matters into their own hands and refusing to play Israel but campaigners such as Line Khateeb, who leads the Palestine Committee in Norway, believe this game should not be taking place. “Not at all,” she says. “Israel shouldn’t be included in an international football arena when they are violating international law and preventing Palestinian football players from playing. As long as Israel’s occupation withstands, Palestinians don’t have a chance to play football, to live, to learn or move freely. “We won’t disturb the game, we want Norway to win. We will protest, but after this game there will be other games involving youth teams or in European competitions. They should reject receiving Israel for Norwegian football teams.” The tension between taking a political or moral stance and cheering Norway towards a historic achievement has been further highlighted by the decision of Norsk Supporterallianse, a vocal presence on the domestic scene, to step back from any involvement in protests or statements around the Israel game. An Israel side that entertain going forward but repeatedly leak goals must win to retain any realistic chance of qualifying. There was an extraordinary scene in their pre-match press conference when their manager, Ran Ben Shimon, requested a pause and donned a kippah before reciting the bible passage Jeremiah 31:16. It was in tribute to the agreement that Hamas’s 20 living Israeli hostages must be released by 10am BST on Monday. Long-serving observers of the national team said it was the first time an Israel manager had made such a public intervention. This week’s events will be used as motivation. “It’s a lot of excitement, it helps us a lot,” said Dasa. “Since 7 October 2023 we haven’t attended a game with the feeling of hope that something will happen, but now they are on their way home and we would like to give them a nice present.” A small group of protesters was stationed outside Ullevi while the Israel team trained on Friday night. Fewer than 200 Israel fans will be present to see the match. Norwegian supporters will be 3,000 fewer in number than normal, with small sections of the 28,000 capacity closed to prevent possible pitch incursions. That will be just one visual reminder, while proceedings unfold on the turf, of the context off it.