Fagforbundet, a member of LO (TUC) is a Norwegian union with more than 300 000 members. In a small country like Norway such a number translates directly into political power. It is therefore worthy of note to see Fagforbundet endorse NORWAC doctor Mads Gilbert’s take on the 2008-2009 Gaza war.
Unauthorized translation from union website Frifagforbundet, article by journalist Vegard Velle:
Shocking lecture introduced Palestine-project
Delegates of Fagforbundet wiped tears and blew noses when senior doctor Mads Gilbert visited Fagforbundet.
– Israel bombed 60 mosques and killed 400 children. What would have happened if the Palestinians had bombed 60 synagogues and killed 400 Israeli children? Would there have been any reactions then? asked Gilbert who rejoined Fagforbundet again today.
The lecture was about the dramatic three weeks of last years’ Christmas, when Israel killed 1400 Palestinians and wounded 5300. And no western governments reacted. Gilbert was himself present at Shipa hospital for twelve days.
NORWAC doctors Mads Gilbert and Erik Fosse’s stay at Shifa hospital (spelled Shipa in the article?) was financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During their stay Mads Gilbert claimed that the situation in Gaza was “worse than” WWII Warsaw. The doctors also denied that Hamas were present at the hospital, claiming that this was just an Israeli ruse.
Fagforbundet supports Palestinians
According to president Shimon Peres the implementation of the war was 90 percent according to plan. It was in other words the intention to kill 90 percent of the civilians, Gilbert points out.
Exactly how Gilbert arrives at the 90 percent figure is of yet unknown, but he has certainly bandied it about before. In Verdens Gang on July 15th he claims that 80-90 percent of all casualties were civilian.
– Only during the third day of Christmas they dropped 400 bombs. Torn apart people streamed into the hospitals.
Fagforbundet will over the next five years implement a solidarity project for the Palestinians together with Norwegian People’s Aid. Fagforbundet will allocate NOK 4,5 million each of the four years. all in all NOK 18 million.
Violation of International Law
«Israel’s goal is to deliver a hard strike against the people in Gaza so that they loose their appetite for firing rockets against Israel. That is all of it,” Shimon Peres stated during the war.– The sound of the horrible Israeli devil-machines – the drones – never stopped. This was a clear violation of International law. An attacking force is not allowed to punish civilians in order to accomplish a higher goal, Gilbert states.
Gilbert does not seem to elaborate upon how use of “the horrible Israeli devil-machines – the drones” violated international law. The journalist does not appear to ask. It is worthwhile to remember that Norwegian soldiers in Afghanistan also benefit from drones, even though Norwegian armed forces are not themselves equipped with them – yet.
Israel lost 13 men during the war of aggression, of which ten were soldiers and three were civilians, no children.
1 shot, 2 kills
He showed pictures of Israeli soldiers’ t-shirts. One showed the picture of a pregnant Palestinian woman: “1 shot, 2 kills” said the text below the picture. Another picture showed a child in the crosshairs of a rifle scope with the text saying “The younger, the tougher/harder (?)”.In Israel such attitudes were excused as being directed towards Hamas-children.
– It is sufficient to call a human being a terrorist, a Hamas-member or Shia, and they loose their human worth. Just look at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. This is a very scary development which departs from the humanitarianism we have taken onset from after the war, says Mads Gilbert.
Weak foreign policy
He shows to how Norway invests 3,2 billion in Israel, of which sixty percent is directly tied to the occupying forces. Gilbert encourages Fagborbundet to apply political pressure on government in order to make it distance itself from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.– The most important thing you can do is to mobilize the public opinion, and make the government act against the transgressions. Foreign policy has been “puny”, Gilbert believes.
Neither is he understanding of how Norway refrained from voting in the UN on the Goldstone-report, which documents the transgressions.
– It is good to become emotionally involved. But then the anger must be given direction. We must never doubt that small groups of committed people may change the world, says Mads Gilbert.
About Gilbert’s concluding remark there can be no doubt. The Norwegian Palestine-lobby consists of a comparatively small group of highly organized individuals who have managed to develop enviable political clout. Under the skilfull leadership of Mads Gilbert they have managed to twist the military success of Operation Cast Lead into an anti-Israeli propaganda enterprise.
In Norway, the 2008-2009 Gaza-war has to a significant extent become “Gilbert’s war”, which Fagforbundet now endorses.
