The Oslo Accord's Stained Legacy
THE CLAIM The BBC reports that Mona Juul, a former Norwegian diplomat, and her husband Terje Rød-Larsen, a key figure in the 1993 Oslo Accords, are under investigation for 'aggravated corruption' due to financial ties with Jeffrey Epstein. Rød-Larsen reportedly received significant payments from Epstein, triggering an official police probe now extending to Juul for not reporting these
transactions. THE EVIDENCE The Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim) confirmed the investigation. Terje Rød-Larsen admitted to receiving two payments totaling $1.3 million from Epstein in 2013 and 2015 via his think tank, the International Peace Institute (IPI), and personally. He claims these were repayments for consulting
services and a loan, respectively (BBC, 2024). Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was known for cultivating relationships with powerful individuals across politics, finance, and diplomacy, often leveraging these connections for opaque financial dealings and the facilitation of his sex trafficking network. THE CONTRADICTIONS The narrative of the 'peace broker' clashes starkly with the reality of
receiving over a million dollars from a known sex trafficker and financial manipulator. Rød-Larsen's initial explanation for the payments – a 'personal loan' and 'consultancy fees' – raises questions about the nature of these transactions and the due diligence exercised by a senior diplomat and a prominent peace organization. The alleged ignorance of Mona Juul, a career diplomat holding positions