I just read a very interesting OpEd by social anthropologist Unni Wikan, a true academic with feet firmly planted in reality to judge both by her CV and published material. Unni (I am sure she wont object to this familiarity, we come from the same island), has often taken “unpopular” stances, from admonishing Norwegian...
Norway, Israel and the Jews
- NUPI researcher thinks condemnation of Syria’s Assad is selective and opportunisticNAÏVE PRAYERS OVER SYRIA Aftenposten 2012 02 21 p 6, Helge Lurås Summary. Helge Lurås of NUPI expresses deep skepticism over the Syrian opposition, admitting the Assad regime is not exactly being a model of democracy of human rights and democracy, however it is having the support of perhaps 50 per cent of the country’s population, not least he minorities. Q […]
- Gutting Israel over its embassyNorwegian media continue to make a feast out of Israel’s difficulties in finding a suitable venue for its embassy, which both takes security concerns and costs into consideration. Maybe we shall remind the ironic commentators that there is a very good reason why Israel is particularly sensitive with regards to security; its embassy was blown to bits in Bueno […]
- ooopsy,that’s the Nobel price taken off our hands then…Some of you may remember an entry from December last year, at a time when Norway had suffered several set-backs reputation wise. A substantial part of that entry was dedicated to an oped by the great grandson of Alfred Nobel, who charged that the Norwegian Nobel committee does not fulfill its obligations under the Alfred Nobel Testament: He says that the Nor […]
- The Embarrassing Embassy story…As Kafka says, Norway isn’t very keen on being a good host – but then I suppose Norway is very happy with the arrangement for our own embassy in Tel Aviv, situated on top of a fancy shopping center in very upmarket part of town, where security is taken well care of by shopping center and local police. Maybe the Israelis are just that much better in providing […]
- Norwegian hospitality to Israel: Suffer bitch!Almost as certain as death and taxes, NRK will not let any opportunity pass by to portray Jews as victims or Israelis as whiners. NRK Østlandssendingen headlines a piece with “The Israeli embassy feels discriminated,” and goes on to cover the Israeli embassy’s alleged whining over not being able to find a suitable location for its embassy. NRK makes its best […]
- Aftenposten allows anti-Semitic commentsAftenposten today published an oped by Martin Bodd, a descendant of Holocaust survivors, responding to a proposal by Aftenposten’s editor for culture and debate Knut Olav Åmås to name a square after one of the Jewish children we sent off to an early and cruel death in Auschwitz in 1942. The talkbacks to this oped are horrific, demonstrating once more that it […]
- The product of a rotting mindDagsavisens forum for polite debate can from time to time look surprisingly like the inside of the head of a person with very unstable hormones, or perhaps neurons like over-ripe camembert cheese. Or, like a grotty catacomb where no air has circulated for centuries. It is probably a style thing; to be oddly out of touch – passé, where they want to be progres […]
- Frightened Norwegian shooters stay at homeI wonder if the powers that be in Norway have put similar travel warnings in place for anybody going to Sweden, specifically to Malmø? Norway Says Israel Dangerous, Won’t Allow Shooting Team to Visit Norway’s security authorities rule that Israel is dangerous, the country’s national shooting team cancels its trip to Israel next month. Elad Benari Norway’s se […]
- Al-Dura lies finally exposedLifted from Jerusalem Post French court acquits Israeli in al-Dura libel case Dr. Yehuda David had been convicted for refuting claimsthat a former patient of his was injured by IDF gunfire in iconic second Intifada incident. A French appeals court on Wednesday acquitted Israeli Dr. Yehuda David of libeling the father of Muhammad al- Dura, a symbol of the sec […]
- Fjordman hits backTERRORISM AND GENUFLEXION Verdens Gang 2012 02 17 p 27, Peder Nøstvold Jensen, a.k.a “Fjordman”. Not Online Author Øyvind Strømmen has been referred to by the media as an expert post 22/7; though it is rather vague what he is supposed to be an expert in. Strømmen took part in the Labor party’s seminar on extremism in January of 2012 in the company of Harald […]
Archive for January, 2011
Odd-Bjørn Fure – right man for the job?
Following a number of anti-Semitic incidents and international criticism, the Holocaust Centre is being given funds to survey anti-Semitism in contemporary Norway. But is the leader of the Holocaust Centre, Odd-Bjørn Fure, the right man for the job? We need to remember the following three facts: 1) Odd-Bjørn Fure rejected Israeli allegations of anti-Semitism...
More solidarity with furry animals in Oslo than antipathy against Mubarak in Cairo?
Norwegians are being fed shoots from the demonstrations in Cairo around the clock these days, but how large are the demonstrations really? Oslo har a population of approx. 600 000. Cairo has a population well in excess of 15 000 000. That makes Cairo 25 times larger than Oslo. According to state broadcaster NRK...
Gentleman politician suggests ban on Hizb
Hans Olav Syversen (Christian Democrats) is a well-mannered gentleman who can always be counted on in the fight anti-Semitism. Verdens Gang publishes an article today where Syversen makes his mind known on Hizb ut Tahrir and Qaradawi. A few quotes: “Growing anti-Semitism should be met with a ban against Hizb ut Tahrir, and a...
Al Jazeera and the Norwegian news outfits
As the riots in Egypt reach day 7 and no signs of any of the parts yielding to pressure, media outlets around the world seem to be in the mood for a little fantasy, to stoke the flames of discontent and perhaps up the circulation. Al Jazeera claims that Israel has sent anti-riot gear...
Immigration: Jeffrey Sachs on Norway, Economist on Europe
Norway is doing well. Jeffrey Sachs is warning us not to let our successes go to our heads. Dagens Næringsliv published two pages on Sachs’ warnings yesterday (Saturday January 29th). Sachs points out that Norway is not immune to the following: 1) Corruption: when money enters politics it displaces the public debate 2) Immigration:...
100 dead in Egypt – Norwegian establishment takes it in stride
When Israel enforced its blockade of Hamas-run Gaza in May last year, prominent Norwegians went berserk with rage over the death of nine cudgel-wielding activists. Meanwhile on the streets of Cairo, the despotic regime of Egypt’s Mubarak has killed one hundred people for demonstrating for change. This leaves prominent Norwegians unruffled. So there is...
Stavanger avisen on Denmark: ‘Christians and Jews flee ghettos”
An article in Stavanger avisen (SA) warns about the development of religiously-based ghettos in Denmark. The SA article is based on an article in the well-reputed Danish newspaper Politiken. Unauthorized translation below: Politiken writes, that they fear that Denmark’s ghettos may develop into fortresses where religious minorities no longer are welcome. - We continuously...
Christian Democrats: Støre’s chat with Hamas sends the wrong signals
TV2′s interview with Khaled Mashaal makes it obvious that whatever Støre’s motivation was for telephoning Khaled Mashaal, Mashaal is using Hamas’ contacts with Norway as a ladder to respectability and acknowledgement. Today Dagfinn Høybråten, leader of the Christian Democrats, states that Norway is sending out the wrong signals and endangering the peace process. Vårt...
NRK silent while Dagsavisen applauds Støre’s talks with Hamas,
This weekend state broadcaster NRK was silent on Støre’s talks with Hamas. This is not good news. The editorial in Dagsavisen, formerly more aptly named Arbeiderbladet (Labor-magazine), applauds Støre and condemns the opposition for criticzing him. While the editorial is unsigned, this site wagers the man behind it is Arne Strand. Unauthorized translation: Storm...
DM on Støre’s talks with Hamas: ‘Norway has put herself on the sidetracks in the Middle East’
DagenMagazinet’s editorial today is on Støre’s talks with Hamas. It criticizes Støre’s ME politics and praises TV2 for its journalism. Unauthorized translation: “Norway has put herself on the sidetracks in any negotiation in the Middle East. We are no more being regarded a neutral actor in this conflict. The Norwegian government has all by...
VG editorial on Støre and Hamas: ‘We have never seen a politician caught pants-down like this before’
VG’s editorial today was on Støre’s telephone chats with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal. In an interview with TV2 Støre first denied having had any, then came around and admitted that he had. Unauthorized translation: STØRE AND HAMAS Editorial FM Jonas Gahr Støre looked directly into the camera lens; anwering ”no” when TV2’s Pål T....
Jostein Gaarder: my op-ed was not anti-semitic
Five years after having written one of the most ludicrously anti-Semitic op-ed’s in Norwegian history, Jostein Gaarder still considers it to have been an expression of “legitimate Israel-criticism”. In 2006, author and academic Mr. Jostein Gaarder wrote one of the most shockingly anti-Semitic op-ed‘s in Norwegian history. The op-ed was published in Aftenposten. Here...
Transcript from interview with Støre on relations with Hamas
There is much to be said for Jonas Gahr Støre. There is much to be said for the political elite to which he belongs. But he has, albeit perhaps unwillingly, being giving out the wrong signals to Hamas and thereby placed Norway in a vulnerable position. He has furthermore been rattled in front of...
Israel: How can we trust Støre after this?
Most Norwegians would not like it if Lieberman chit-chatted with the Taliban, who are trying to kill our soldiers in Afghanistan. Especially if we first had explicitly asked him not to do so. Now Norway’s post-realist politics have led our handsome foreign minister to jaw-jaw with Hamas. Dagbladet.no has interviewed Israeli FM spokesman Yigal...
Israel: All contact with Hamas is damaging
Many Norwegians would resent it if Lieberman were to jaw-jaw with the Taliban. Now Støre has been chattering with Hamas. Aftenposten.no quotes from an Israeli embassy press release in the article “All contact with Hamas is damaging“: - Israel’s position with regards to the terror-organization Hamas is well known to Norwegian authorities. As long...
MFA Press release on Støre – Hamas contact
Yesterday TV2 confronted FM Jonas Gahr Støre with his telephone conversations with Hamas. The MFA has rushed in a press release to explain. Now Støre probably had the best of intentions in mind when he picked up the telephone. He always does. Yet as Madonna points out, the road to hell is paved with...
TV2: Støre has had secret talks with Hamas
Below: TV2 article: “Støre has had secret talks with Hamas“. Above: The israelwhat.com take on the Støre-Hamas affair: We got to keep them separated! TV2 publishes the article Secretly, FM Jonas Gahr Støre has been in talks with the top leader of the Hamas, Khaled Meshaal. USA and the EU have classified Hamas as...
Dagbladet:’Støre caught pants-down’
Norway FM has been very naughty and admits to have enjoyed telephone-chats with Hamas leader Mashaal in Damascus in 2007. In Dagbladet above we see Støre trying to conclude the interview as he is confronted with the issue of the telephone-chats. The headline reads: “Støre caught pants-down / red-handed“. Read more about this in...
Støre admits he has been talking directly to Hamas, Mashaal, in Damascus
TV 2 brought shocker news that FM Støre has had direct phone contact with Hamas leadr Mashaal in Damascus in 2007. He has the audacity to claim that this probably helped set up a unity government in PA/Gaza. This is of course a fat lie, a desperate attempt to avoid the political fallout which...