Are the times a-changing? Dagsavisen’s Roger Hercz today treats us to an editorial on political correctness in Egypt which manages to be both exotic and strangely familiar at the same time. A sample: Every conflict gives rise to stereotypes and images of enmity. Israel and Egypt have fought four wars, even though they in...
Norway, Israel and the Jews
- The Norwegian Government’s hypocrisy re-exposed: “the most evil company in the world” is the second largest share holder in “Norsk Hydro”The Norwegian Government’s hypocrisy re-exposed: “the most evil company in the world” is the second largest share holder in “Norsk Hydro” Brazilian Vale, which Norwegian Hydro has a tight partnership with, only accepts the bare minimum of social responsibility, according to a new poll where Greenpeace ranked the Norwegian Hydro partner as the “the world’s mo […]
- VG’s Hanne Skartveit: the great betrayalLifted from VG. Applause to Skartveit for this eminent oped The great betrayal Synagogue OSLO (AP) We were unable to protect our Jewish compatriots during the war. And today we are unable to give them the security they need. Do we simply not care? OpEd by Hanne Skartveit In the street where I lived for some years, just outside Washington, DC, we had a neighb […]
- One week after PM’s reassurance that nobody should live in fear in Norway – Justice Minister Grete Faremo to reassess Jewish community’s security needsLifted from Dagbladet, but also mentioned in other media. Faremo to reassess Synagogue security needs – Is in constant contact with police and the Police Security Services. The Minister of Justice Grete Faremo (Labour) is reviewing the safety precautions in place for the Synagogue in Oslo, and is in constant contact with the police and the police and the sec […]
- Rockets over Israel go untoldWhile the Norwegian media rightly now focuses on the ongoing atrocities in Syria, and even our FM has felt compelled to politely tell the naughty Assad regime off for the continuing blood bath, one may perhaps be sympathetic to editors’s decision to not cover news from Israel. However, since coverage of Israel continues to be tendentious and one-eyed, one mu […]
- Norwegian support for Israel at record highLifted from Vårt Land Record Norwegian support to Israel More Norwegians buy Israeli goods, provide financial support and join the pro-Israel organizations. By: Lise Marit Kalstad and Olav Solvang Norway set a new record in the import of goods from Israel in 2011. In the last year Norway purchased Israeli goods for NOK 722 million, the corresponding number f […]
- Norwegian People’s Aid failure to report on SyriaAt a time when the rest of the world are slowly, ever so gradually starting to notice the atrocities that go on in Syria (but also many other places on our beautiful planet), one would have thought that the Norwegian People’s Aid would at least have mentioned the word Syria, somewhere, anywhere, on its web pages. But nope, not a word, yet NRK, who cannot fin […]
- The PMs Holocaust Memorial Day speech in full“Dear all, This year marks 70 years since the “Danube” cast off from this quay, and embarked on a voyage of shame . 532 Jews were brutally stowed on board. Only nine returned. One of them was Samuel Steinmann. He is the last survivor. I’m especially glad you are here with us. Today we remember the millions of innocent people who were wiped out in History’s m […]
- Our deepest regret this could happen on Norwegian soilFinally, the first real step towards acknowledging our own role in the tragedy. Only after accepting responsibility, can the hard work of forgiveness and the arduous task of reconstructing relations begin. Lifted from Aftenposten (by Elisabeth Rodum and Halvor Hegtun) PM Jens Stoltenberg (Labour) deeply regretted the deportation of Norwegian Jews at the Holo […]
- Holocaust commemoration ceremony today at 1500 hrs in OsloLifted from Dagen.no, but also covered most other news outlets. For more details on the event itself, you can go to http://www.holocaustdagen.no/ Thinks Jens will apologize to the Jews Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is expected to come up with a form of apology to the Norwegian Jews during the International Holocaust Remembrance Day today. Bjørn Arild Hatle […]
- Mixed signals from Norway as Holocaust commemoration ceremony is expected to bring a much awaited formal apology from Norway to its Jewish communityToday, at 3 PM, our PM Jens Stoltenberg is widely expected to officially and formally apologize to the Norwegian Jewish community for the state sponsored persecution and murder of Norwegian citizens with a Jewish background during the WWII. Whatever form that eventual apology finally would be presented as, does not detract from the perception that Norway con […]
Archive for November, 2009
JP ep-ed: “Are we whitewashing events in Norway?”
Today JP, which a prominent Norwegian newspaper editor has slammed has a untrustworthy right-wing rag, publishes an op-ed by Dr.Gerstenfeld of the JCPA, whom the same Norwegian newspaper has characterized as a blinded and inexhaustible fanatic. Excerpt below: However, not all is black. Most Norwegians have other problems than the Middle East conflict. There...
VG editorial on Fayyad
Verdens Gang is Norway’s largest daily. Its editorial spans over pages two and three and are considered the country’s most important. Anything on these pages ought to reflect and affect the main “Norwegian” take on things. Today it is penned by Ms.Hanne Skartveit, who writes about Salam Fayyad of the PA and makes quite...
Gerstenfeld replies to Aftenposten’s editorial
On November 22nd Aftenposten rejected the criticism of the Jerusalem-seminar the week before, claiming that Manfred Gerstenfeld of the Jerusalem Centre of Public Affairs was a blinded, if inexhaustible, extremist. One nice feature of Norwegian newspapers is however that they do allow for a right of response. Gerstenfeld’s reply was published in Aftenposten today....
Ilan Pappe centerfold of communist daily Klassekampen
When Israeli historian Benny Morris visited Norway in June, there were no journalists present at the seminar and he received only a single mention in the newspapers (DagenMagazinet). At the time, this site wagered one bottle of Upper Ten (A Norwegian blend of Scottish Malts) that if Israeli historian Ilan Pappe ever visited Norway,...
Jerusalem Post: Is Norway really anti-Semitic
JP has published a well written op-ed by a Norwegian, one John A. Moen, under the title “Is Norway really anti-Semitic”. Here is an excerpt: While awaiting the researchers’ conclusions, we can summarize the following: The problems we encounter as Norwegian Jews primarily derive from the fact that some Muslim immigrants transfer their hatred...
Ilan Pappe: la censure règne en Allemage comme dans les années 30 …
Israeli historian Ilan Pappe is touring Europe, it appears. Philosemitisme for one has picked up on the fact that he also is visiting Norway’s NTNU. Extract below: “Ils auraient pu faire venir quelqu’un de l’ambassade pour présenter le point de vue opposé et me contredire. Ceci n’est jamais arrivé, même pas en Israël ; la...
LO (TUC) called upon to reassess perspective on Israel
LO – the main Norwegian TUC – is one of many Norwegian organizations to embrace the cause of the Palestinians, even though the precise nature of this cause often remains unclear. During the May 1st march in Trondheim (home to NTNU) the Palestinian section proved the most popular. In LO leader Roar Flåthen’s May...
2004: Norwegian anti-war movement divided over support to suicide bombers
Ingrid Fiskaa (Socialist Left) was recently appointed deputy to Development Minister Erik Solheim (Socialist Left). Newspapers refer to her as a “peace activist”. Yet only in 2008 Ms.Fiskaa stated how she “in dark moments” fantasized about the UN “precision bombing selected Israeli targets”. This sort of talk is highly pecualiar. Yet if we go...
Aftenposten rejects critic as “inexhaustible, blinded fanatic”
Norwegian politicians and newspapers criticize Israel more than any other state on the planet, and seriously expect Israel to take the criticism seriously. Yet when Mr.Gerstenfeld of JCPA directed some highly legitimate criticism at Norway at a seminar in Jerusalem last week, Aftenposten covered it in an article which artfully dodged the seminar’s stronger...
Another take on the Jerusalem seminar on Norway
Aftenposten has had its say on the Jerusalem seminar on Norway. A not very benign one. For a more reasonable take visit Idag.no, where Richard Oestermann offers his version. As mentioned one of the most interesting ideas to be brought up during the seminar was that Dr.Gerstenfeld meet with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr...
Aftenposten rejects criticism of Norway
Aftenposten’s correspondent to the Middle East Jørgen Lohne participated in the seminar held in Jerusalem on Thursday where Dr.Manfred Gerstenfeld of the JCPA identified anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incidents in contemporary Norway. The result – a full page article – is published in today’s paper edition of Aftenposten. Unauthorized translation below: - A Norwegian Elite...
Dagbladet: Socialist radical becomes deputy minister
Dagbladet reports that “Socialist Left radical Ingrid Fiskaa” has become deputy to Minister of the Environment and Development Erik Solheim (Socialist Left). Going back to the Saturday of April 19th 2008, we find Ms.Fiskaa admitting the following in communist daily Klassekampen (Class struggle): “In certain dark moments I might wish that the UN fired...
Seminar on Norway held in Jerusalem
A seminar was held on “Norway, Israel and the jews” in Jerusalem yesterday. Was it about this blog? No. Was it about the same subjects as this blog deals with? Yes it was. The seminar was given by Manfred Gerstenfeld of the JCPA to an audience of 35 people, including three retired Israeli ambassadors,...
Ilan Pappe speaks at NTNU on Friday 20th
The controversial NTNU seminar series on Israel is proceeding according to plan and the next speaker up is Mr.Ilan Pappe, who will take the floor this friday. Here is how NTNU presents him: Professor Ilan Pappé is one of the world’s leading historians of the Middle East, with a distinctive view of Arab-Israeli relations. Among the...
DN Nov. 5th: False Quote on Anti-Semitism
In the last week of October journalist Kjetil Wiedswang in the prestigious business daily Dagens Næringsliv commented on the strained aspects of Norway-Israeli relations . In doing so he unfortunately relied upon “chinese whispers” about Israeli academic Manfred Gerstenfeld, including a misquote which has been bandied about by both the Norwegian and Swedish News...
JP op-ed: The Academic Boycott – Is it over?
Ben Cohen of the American Jewish Committee has a well-written op-ed in the Jerusalem Post today. Now good Norwegians should not read the JP of course, not after editor Harald Stanghelle of Aftenposten has warned us of how it is a good-for-nothing right-wing rag. But sneak a peak and who is to know? Excerpt:...
Code cracked – spies listening everywhere
Until quite recently the more ludicrous aspects of the Norwegian debate on the Middle East were a closely kept national secret, shared only by the select few who mastered Norsk, a code originally developed by the Bavarian Illuminati. Now it appears that the code has been broken and that code-cracking foreigners are listening in...
Norway’s ambassador to Paris is a good man
Word from French-speakers is that Norway’s ambassador to Paris is a good man. He has been petitioned by French Jews over the boycott proposal at NTNU and evidently gave a good impression of himself. This is good news. Norway is filled with good people and they are the ones we want to be known...
Politicians on Facebook
A politician in the Progress Party is making headlines after having posted on Facebook, where the man in question has made some very uncouth racist statements regarding Africans. So this is in the press. What never made the press was how a Labor politician on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs committee lifted a site from this...