Tromsø is the biggest city in Northern Norway with approximately 54 000 inhabitants. It boasts a state of the art hospital and favors itself as ”the Paris of the north”. During winter Tromsø is as dark as death but in summer the city springs to life as the legitimate child of the midnight sun. All in all Tromsø has much to be proud...
Norway, Israel and the Jews
- Happy 17th of MayOnce more, we gather under our flag to celebrate our freedom. Each 17th of May, the Jewish community in Oslo organize a formal and serene commemoration of Henrik Wergeland, the son of one of the member of the Constituent Assembly for our Constitution. In its original version, our Constitution was shamed by the exclusion of Jews and Jesuits in Norway, som […]
- “Minister of justice” to Jews in Oslo: too badThe synagogue in Oslo – already one of the most fortified structures in Norway – applied to the government for additional funds to secure its congregation. They asked for NOK 21 million but got NOK 7 million. After all the speeches Støre and Stoltenberg with no end to the flowery assurances, this is what it comes down to: Jews should be content feeling prett […]
- The Jewish Community in Oslo applied for NOK 21 million for security measures, only got NOK 7,2lifted from Vårt Land Synagogues receive NOK 7.2 million for security The money goes towards securing doors, upgrade the monitoring system and setting up a security fence. The Government proposes in the revised national budget to allocate 7.2 million forsecurity at the Jewish Religious Community (DMT). - No one should have to be afraid to exercise their rel […]
- Letter from a 17-year old Jewish boyAftenposten today published an op-ed from “Daniel,” a 17-year old Norwegian student who happens to be Jewish. He feels surrounded by antisemitic attitudes, ranging from comments by a fellow video game player (“just pretend they’re Jews when you aim at them”), to the inevitable “so you support killing babies?” when he mentions he supports Israel, to the inabi […]
- PalCom action ‘small and unsuccessful’lifted from miff.no Palestine Committee’s action was “small and unsuccessful” Only a small number of provocateurs from Palestine Committee participated in a store action against Israel’s Dead Sea products in Oslo last Tuesday (May 16) evening. The police were notified in advance and got them quickly away from the place. By Conrad Myrland Published: 16/05/201 […]
- VG’s Astrid Meland attacks Pal activists and media for unethical focus on IsraelAstrid Meland published an OpEd in VG on May 14, which currently is not online. MIFF has published a review article online, from where I have lifted the following: Astrid Meland believes Israel’s critics in Norway are victim of a collective neurosis, where you turn a blind eye to much worse breaches of human rights by other states. - Unethical focus on Isra […]
- Stand up, stand up – for the Hebrew MamitaIf I were a man, I would seriously consider inviting this lady out for dinner. Since I am not, I can only say – WAY TO GO, SISTER! linkscolor = "000000"; highlightscolor = "888888"; backgroundcolor = "FFFFFF"; channel = "none"; […]
- Oopsie – Norwegian academia has become synonymous with academic anti-Semitismlifted from ynetnews.com This is the cost of allowing a guy like Galtung to roam free – regardless of round rejection of his recent remarks, this was by no means the first time the ‘mad professor’ let it rip, as is evident by the details of this op-ed. Why did not the Norwegian intelligentia react at an earlier stage? Did they perhaps agree with the previous […]
- Gloves are off: MIFF (With Israel for Peace) reports the PalCom to the policeLifted from miff.no What can I say? Bravo! MIFF is doing an incredibly important job and luckily their hard efforts are rewarded with a healthy growth in their memberships. Maybe readers of this blog could be entreated to find a way of supporting MIFF? By the way, I have no relation to MIFF, personally or professionally – this is just a courtesy call to reco […]
- What Karsten Tveit’s award really signifiesOdd Karsten Tveit wins the Gullruten lifetime award for his propaganda news coverage from the Middle East. When it comes to correspondents in the Middle East sent by NRK (the governmental broadcasting organization financed by a surcharge on owning a television), it’s a bit like watching the Eurovision song contest: you can endlessly discuss who is worse. Bu […]
Archive for April, 2009
Secular, gay politician boycotts Jerusalem gay pride
Regulars at this site will remember how Anette Trettebergstuen founded the network “Friends of Palestine” in the Norwegian Parliament as a counterweight to the “Friends of Israel” network. Stating that a parliamentarian perfectly well could be member of both networks simultaneously, Trettebergstuen has also said that “Friends of Israel” is not for her. During...
Norwegian Ambassador gilds the rose
On April 2nd the Norwegian Ambassador to Israel, Jakken Bjørn Lian, writes to the Jerusalem Post (see below) about the Gaza-march in Olso on January 8th, in which the Norwegian Minister of Finance Kristin Halvorsen took part. Lian describes the march as : “… a dignified and peaceful event”. Jakken’s statement is in alignment with the...
Archive 2007: Police cadet alleged to have threatened jews
Here is a translation from Norway’s largest daily Verdens Gang, November 25th 2007. Taking into consideration the statements of Yusuf Qaradawi, the opinions of Muhammed ali Chisti and Trond Ali Lindstad, the riots in early January and the theories of the Independent Labor Party we need to ask ourselves if there is a pattern...
Business editorial states “There is a difference between Singalese and jews”
Dagens Næringsliv is Norway’s largest business daily. Yesterday many readers found the following editorial a refreshing change from the same-same of Akersgata (Norway’s Fleet Street): Social commitment The tragedy of Sri Lanka is entering its temporarily last act. During the next few days the last little piece of land still controlled by the LTTE, the Tamil...
Sri Lanka not as interesting as Gaza
Norwegian tamils demonstrated in Oslo again yesterday, this time outside the central government offices in Akersgata. This is the latest in a series of demonstrations which all look the same: hundreds and thousands of tamils marching to and fro, and then quietly disappearing. A few newspaper articles. A little something on television, on radio....
Archive: 2006 article in Dagbladet on Gry Larsen, political adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Here is an unauthorized translation from Dagbladet on January 8th 2006. Observe that following the conflict the article covers, adviser Gry Larsen retracted her support for a boycott of Israel and toed the official party line. Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre’s closest adviser Gry Larsen, wanted to bring Ariel Sharon to trial for war-crimes. She...
Halvorsen’s march on January 8th “Less than peaceful”
The Tundra Tabloids picks up on Manfred Gerstenfeld’s latest op-ed to the Jerusalem Post, which concerns Minister of Finance Kristin Halvorsen and her participation in a march on January 8th (Covered here, here and here). Gerstenfeld’s op-ed is in reply to an op-ed by the Norwegian ambassador to Israel, who claims that “the minister took...
Norway hammers Israel
Many Norwegians claim that Norwegian criticism of Israel is legitimate, that Israel has to stand scrutiny just like any other nation, and that pro-Israel allegations of such criticism being anti-Semitic has no foundation in reality and is solely intended to silence critical voices. But let us just look at the last few days: April 23rd: In a letter to...
Muslim convert calls for “extermination” of Israel’s regime
In a letter to Aftenposten today muslim convert Trond Ali Lindstad calls for the “extermination” of Israel’s regime, placing the word extermination in brackets. Linstad is a doctor and for a decade also a member of Arbeidernes Kommunistiske Parti (AKP -Workers Communist Party) as well as an active member of the Palestine Committee. As part of his political engagement...
To the right
Document.no runs an interesting post today on the American writer Bruce Bawer. Here’s an excerpt from Document.no’s introduction: Bruce Bawer is making an important contribution in enlightening the Americans about events in Europe: even well informed, educated Americans have no idea. They lack the conceptual background. But the Europeans themselves have not got an overview. There...
Israel disappointed by Støre
From an NTB (Norwegian News Agency) article in Dagsavisen today: Israel’s ambassador Michael Eligal today met at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to express disappointment over how Norway reacted to the speech made by president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Israel also protested against Norway’s participation in itself at the UN conference against racism, which...
Norwegian lawyers file complaint against Israel for war-crimes
A number of newspapers today run the following NTB (Norwegian News Agency) article – here from Verdens Gang, Norway’s largest daily: Norwegian lawyers file complaint against Israel A group of Norwegian lawyers are filing a complaint against Israel for the attack on Gaza this winter and demand that the specified persons are apprehended if...
The public voice and the anti-Israel lobby
Dagsavisen, a smaller Norwegian daily, today ran an article under the heading: “Media gullible in Islam-debate?“. Ulf Andenæs, a journalist in Aftenposten, states: “In spite of the broad spectrum of journalists covering islam, I do not know a single person in the Norwegian media who openly supports the large and immigration-critical Progress Party. Here...
Durban II and the Norwegian “jaw-jaw”
Winston Churchill once said he would rather “jaw-jaw than war-war”, meaning he preferred negotiation to conflict. Aftenposten, a larger Norwegian daily, writes today: Several western nations with the USA leading the way have boycotted the conference, while EU-countries and some others left the conference during Ahmadinejads speech. The representatives of some countries remained seated,...
Norwegian political party blames Mossad for 9-11
A new political party, the Independent Labour Party, has been established in Norway. ILP is led by Ghufoor Butt, who will run for parliament in this year’s elections. As you can read in the excerpt from Dagbladet below, Butt has little tolerance of homosexuality and believes Mossad stood behind the terrorism attacks of 9-11....
Legitimate criticism of Norway?
Norwegian Middle East expert Hilde Henriksen Waage touched a nerve with her suggestion that “something similar to a smear campaign” is being conducted against Norway. We have read similar suggestions in Klassekampen, Dagsavisen and Bergensavisen. Only yesterday Professor Morten Levin at the prestigious NTNU could, in an op-ed to Adresseavisa, observe the pro-Israel propaganda machine going...
“Jew” – an insult
The Norwegian daily Dagbladet today covers anti-Semitism in the schools under the heading “Jew” has become an insult. Government initiates plan against religious-based bullying - When “jew” becomes an insult among certain youth-groups and muslims are called terrorists, we need to take it very seriously. Everyone must be allowed to live with their religion, says Minister...
The propaganda machine
Hilde Henriksen Waage is not the only Norwegian academic who believes in the power of the pro-Israel propaganda machine. In today’s Adresseavisa, a daily focusing on the Trondheim area, Professor Morten Levin writes: The attacks against Rita Ottervik and Håkon Gullvåg are not unique. Such attacks are part of the daily amount of propaganda...
Serve no foreign prince
The European Council for fatwa and research is heeded by Norwegian muslims, who look to the council for deliberations upon theological issues. One of the clerics at the institute is Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who made headlines in the Norwegian media on February 15th after having praised the holocaust as a divine punishment on an Al-jazeera show. Qaradawi had...