Again the allegation of the “smear campaign” being waged against Norway by mysterious forces in Israel.
Hilde Henriksen Waage is a professor of History at the Univeristy of Oslo and a researcher at PRIO – an institute for Peace research. Ms. Waage has for some time now claimed that Norway is the victim of a “smear campaign” machinated by the “Israeli right-wing”. This claim has yet to be substantiated. Waage herself does not offer any tangible evidence of any kind, and the journalists do not ask for any. So again and again this claim is repeated: Norway is the victim of a smear campaign from the Israeli right-wing. We find the most recent example in “Norway plays no role“, an article in Aftenposten of March 10th.
Norway plays no part in ME peace process
“Norway plays no role” is on contemporary events in Israel – the settlements in East Jerusalem – and on how Norway’s somewhat muted reaction to this may, Ms. Waage suggests, be an indication of how Norway wants “back in” and a place at the negotiation table. Unauthorized translation:
Hilde Henriksen Waage, professor of history at the University of Oslo and senior-researcher at the Institute for Peace Research (PRIO), interprets Norway’s muted protest as an attempt at softening up relations with Israel, in order to again play a role in the Middle East.
Waage herself believes Norway has little chance of taking part in forthcoming peace negotiations in the Middle East. It is while explaining why that she again reaches for the “smear campaign” – see screenshot above. Unauthorized translation of the first paragraph:
Norway has the last years had great difficulties with Israel, or rather it is the other way around. The Israeli right-wing has conducted a systematic smear campaign against Norway since our attempt at building a bridge between Hamas and Fatah in 2007. Yet we are constantly hunting for a part to play in the Middle East conflict, says Waage.
She still believes that it is completely unthinkable that Norway will enter the field again.
Waage is correct in that Norway has great difficulties with Israel. It is the purpose of this blog to identify how these consequences are the result of , among other, an active and well-organized Palestine-Lobby, and it is in an attempt at identifying a pattern substantiating this hypothesis that we are carrying out our work. Where is Waage’s work? Where are her findings, and where is her proof?
FM Jonas Gahr Støre sees “smear campaign” against Norway
As recently as in January our FM Jonas Gahr Støre was subjected to heavy – and legitimate – criticism during a visit to Israel. To the Norwegian press Mr.Støre made light of the criticism, claiming that it sprang out of domestic Israeli politics and had nothing to do with Norway. To Israeli Haaretz however, Mr.Støre managed to claim that the criticism was part of a smear campaign being waged against Norway by the Israeli right-wing. Excerpt from Haaretz:
There are references to anti-Israel sentiments in the Israeli press, and I see part of that as a campaign, which is being organized and orchestrated from circles who point out enemies of Israel [in Norway],” Store told Haaretz during a visit to Jerusalem on Monday. He refused to speculate who he thinks is behind the campaign.
So we have a professor and ME expert feeding our FM with conspiracy theory, and newspapers which do not request that the source of that conspiracy theory substantiate her claims.
This country is in trouble.
