Norway, Israel and the Jews
Erlend Loe (see screenshot above) is one of Norway’s most popular authors. Perhaps he is even more popular than his colleague Jostein Gaarder, who made himself popular with the Palestinakomiteen when he famously stated in 2006 that Israel had “lost its right to exist”. Neither of the two are perhaps quite as popular as Swedish author...
Tom Gross supplies the following, no credit to this blog whatsoever for this, it is all Tom Gross’ work: As mentioned in my dispatch last week, because I am traveling for work at present I am unable to produce full-length dispatches, but below are some links I have gathered concerning today’s tragic incident off...
The photo above is supplied by one of the NIJ irregulars and shows a crowd of Norwegians assembling outside the Israeli embassy in Parkveien in Oslo. None of these young people seem to have any idea of what operations Norway is undertaking in Afghanistan. linkscolor = "000000"; highlightscolor = "888888"; backgroundcolor = "FFFFFF"; channel...
Did Israel, in enforcing the blockade of Hamas-run Gaza, violate international law? Jan Egeland, the Director of the Norwegian institute of International Affairs, states to Verdens Gang today: Only North Korea behaves in international waters in the same manner as Israel does. (Mr. Egeland also makes a number of equally interesting statements, which this...
Journalist Lars Akerhaug is a former leader of the Palestinakomite who now works for Aftenposten, which is headed by former Maoist Hilde Haugsgjerd. Akerhaug’s article above, headed “Unknown destiny for Norwegians on Gaza-boat” , which deals with exactly that, claims that 20 activists were killed as the flotilla attempted to violate the blockade. This...
The chant of ‘khaybar’ is well known to us – the picture above is from a riot in Oslo on January 8th, 2009. According to Eirik Eiglad, author of “The anti-Jewish riots in Oslo”, the same sign was also seen during riots outside the Israel embassy two days later. From the Jerusalem Post: ‘Activists...
Norwegian journalists are receiving Palestinian author Susan Abulhawa with open arms. Here is a perspective to their liking! Abulhawa has written the book “Morning in Jenin“, where a Palestinian child is stolen by an Israeli soldier whose wife is unable to bear children after having been tortured by German nazis. In Dagsavisen, journalist Gerd...
The screenshot above is from a news item – in Norwegian only – on the MFA’s web-site. Unauthorized translation: Foreign Minister Støre: – Blockade of Gaza undermines the Palestinian Authorities A fleet consisting of passenger and freight vessels is on its way to Gaza to bring goods to the reconstruction of Gaza after the...
Journalist Asle Hansen recently published a story (post) in Dagbladet under the title “Israel offered to sell nucelar weapons to South Africa”. Hansen’s story piggy-backs on an article by Chris McGreal in the Guardian, and has been debunked by CIF Watch. Again. Here are some highlights from round two: It illustrates what these critics...
This is just typical. Israel sends a contestant to ESC in Oslo, Norway, and his country is singled out for special treatment. From Jerusalem Post: The Foreign Ministry sent complaint to the organizers of the Eurovision contest after they failed to show a map of Israel during the show, Foreign Ministry spokesman Yossi Levi...
Dagbladet’s article “Wants Israel out of ESC” covers anti-Israel protestors who are campaigning for the exclusion of Israel from the ESC. Demonstrator Sarah Salameh tells Dagbladet: “Our goal is to state that we do not desire that Israel be seated at the table as long as they continue to occupy Palestine“. linkscolor = "000000";...
An interesting editorial by Helge Øgrim on how self-censorship, at times, hurts the Norwegian media and reduces its significance. Some interesting examples are mentioned, among them a recent attack on Lars Vilks. linkscolor = "000000"; highlightscolor = "888888"; backgroundcolor = "FFFFFF"; channel = "none";
The situation in Norway could be better. That said, much of what we see in Norway is uncritical acceptance of the Palestinian narrative, even when it comes from Hamas and Palestinakomiteen, and extreme Israel-phobia. Anti-Semitism blends into this mix, as authors Eirik Eiglad and Manfred Gerstenfeld show in, respectively, “The anti-Jewish riots in Oslo”...
736 Norwegian Jews, almost half the population, were sent to the killing fields of WWII. Only a few survived. In the book “Jews on the run” WWII hero Ragnar Ulstein commemorates the heroes of the saga. And yes, there were heroes. Not enough of them. But still, there were some. Good people, standing up...
Good old Philosemitism “Ni les journaux ni les intellectuels norvégiens ne se sont posé la question de savoir la raison qui amène la Norvège à entretenir de si excellentes relations avec le régime despotique saoudien, alors que ses relations avec la démocratie israélienne sont glaciales.” Norway, Israel and the Jews est un des meilleurs...
The screenshot above is from an NRK article on the ESC where Israel’s contestant Harel Skaat is cast as, well, just that – Israel’s contestant to the ESC. This is extremely rare in Norway, where the media corps largely endorse the Palestinian narrative and will squeeze it in wherever possible. But it does happen....
Idag.no writes that The International Christian Embassy (IKAJ) will attend the ESC on Saturday in order to support Israel’s contestant. This means that the Palestine Committee, although it probably get more media attention, will not monopolize the event. linkscolor = "000000"; highlightscolor = "888888"; backgroundcolor = "FFFFFF"; channel = "none";
Norwegian newspapers are disseminating an NTB report on Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s talks with Saudi prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, during which they have discussed the Middle East peace process. The screenshot above is from Adressa.no, a regional Norwegian newspaper, under the heading: “Støre talked about Middle East with Saudi prince” (One might...
In 2006, synagogue-shooter Arfan Bhatti plotted to blow up Israel’s embassy to Oslo. In 2009, it was attacked by mobs of angry Norwegians shouting “Death to Jews“. Now ILPI director Njål Høstmælingen thinks the embassy has become so much of a burden for the neighborhood that it ought to move. TV2 reports on the...