A professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology has drawn condemnation after saying during an April 21 public lecture in Trondheim that the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was “the most beautiful thing that has happened in our century,” according to Norwegian and Israeli media reports.
Bassam Hussein, a professor of project management at the university, known as NTNU, made the remark during a Socialist Forum Trondheim event at Litteraturhuset in Trondheim on the war involving the US, Israel, and Iran and its implications for Europe and Palestinians. The event listing described Hussein as an NTNU professor with family in Gaza who closely follows developments in the Middle East. It also listed Pål Steigan, editor of Steigan.no, as a second speaker.
Universitetsavisa, NTNU’s editorially independent university newspaper, reported that video from the event showed Hussein saying the attack had disproved “Israeli superiority.” Utrop, a Norwegian outlet covering multicultural affairs, reported that Hussein framed October 7 as a turning point in the region and later said he hoped Israel and the US would suffer a major defeat.
The remarks sparked criticism from Jewish and Israeli representatives. Eytan Halon, Israel’s chargé d’affaires ad interim in Oslo, called the comments “a shocking glorification of terror” and said, “This Hamas supporter cannot continue teaching Norway’s students.” Ervin Kohn, head of the Norwegian Jewish Community’s national cooperation council, told Utrop: “This is glorification of violence and terror that does not belong in our democracy.”
Hussein later wrote in Universitetsavisa that he did not view October 7 as “a victory or triumph” and said civilian deaths were tragic and should not be romanticized. He said he meant to describe the attack as a historical turning point from a Palestinian perspective, not as a moral judgment on violence.
The controversy comes as European universities continue to face disputes over Gaza, antisemitism, academic freedom, and the line between political speech and support for terrorism.
