Norway, Israel and the Jews
If Odd-Bjørn Fure is the right man to head the survey of contemporary anti-Semitism, he needs to prove his case. As this site has pointed out earlier there are several reasons for why Odd-Bjørn Fure, leader of the Holocaust Centre, might not be the right man to head the coming survey on contemporary anti-Semitism....
On Wednesday this site glumly predicted that the anniversary of the Syrian army’s massacre at Hama would go unobserved by the Norwegian media. Today’s editorial in Dagens Næringsliv is on… how the massacres of Sabra and Shatila are well known while the massacre at Hama is virtually forgotten. The editorial is written by Kjetil...
Jostein Gaarder has for some strange reason stood up to defend his ludicrous op-ed of 2006, a spectacular cocktail offering not only ridicule and chastisement of Israel but also outright expressions of anti-Semitism. Gaarder’s colleague Unni Lindell has expressed support for Gaarder, initially claiming that the state of Israel constitutes the Jews’ “worst enemy”...
When NORWAC doctor Erik Fosse was stabbed in Gaza while attending a Hamas-rally he expressed understanding for his attacker. He was, after all, a westerner. Today Dagbladet publishes an op-ed by NUPI senior researcher Sverre Lodgaard, who interprets popular uprisings in the Maghreb as a reaction against western imperialism. The attitudes of Fosse and...
The Christian Democrats of Norway is in the habit of producing soft-spoken gentlemen. Some of them, one feels, might hold their own in a bar-room brawl. Below we see a question from Hans Olav Syversen (Christian Democrats) adressed to the President of Parliament. LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE STORTING The Storting, February 3rd...
In Norway, the only democracy in the Middle East is routinely lambasted for actions that go without mention when they occur elsewhere. The Palestinian narrative is as popular as the Israeli narrative is ignored. Now Dagens Næringsliv tells us that Norwegian PR firms will not take Israeli money. Unauthorized translation from Dagens Næringsliv below....
The Norwegian establishment will not allow Israel the right to fight against Hamas, except in no-mans land. They will not allow Israel to blockade of Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate Israel. They will propagandize against Israel, but they will not allow Israel’s embassy to maintain a security fence against the attacks which this...
Siv Jensen (Progress Party) directs the following question at FM Støre: Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre 2011 01 31 The FM’s contacts with Hamas On the TV2 news on January the 27th, information was revealed, showing the FM had had talks with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, in spite of the FM denying this at...
While we await the outcome – short term as well as long term – of the ongoing drama in Egypt, you may find it interesting to take 30 minutes to listen to the BBC radio documentary File on 4 Tolerating the Intolerant? Whilst not relating particularly to the unrest in Egypt – nor to...
An anniversary of which we can be certain nothing will be written about in Norwegian media, although we have to point out that DN journalist Kjetil Wiedswang commented upon it in an article on July 4th 2009. Wikipedia on Hama massacre: The Hama massacre (Arabic: مجزرة حماة) occurred in February 1982, when the Syrian army bombarded the...
BI Professor Øystein Noreng’s two-page op-ed on Egypt “after Mubarak” provides the reader with the impression that Nordeng’s opinions on USA and Israel are stronger than his knowledge of Egypt. The professor, a long time acquaintance of John Mearsheimer (co-author of “Israel-Lobby”) states (first frame, left): “The development in Egypt causes concern in the...
Jostein Gaarder is a cherished Norwegian author and academic. Like many other Norwegian authors and academics he operates with two standards when it comes to the Middle East: one for Israel and a different one for Israel’s neighbors. Author colleague Unni Lindell supports Gaarder. Recently Gaarder wrote a letter to Aftenposten complaining that his...
Øyvind Vaksdal (Progress Party) is asking a lot of questions the government would prefer not to answer. His latest question is directed at FM Jonas Gahr Støre. See below: Document no. 15: 791(2010-2011) Delivered on 2011 01 31 Sent on 2011 02 01 This question is being handled. Question: Øyvind Vaksdahl(Progressives): “In an interview...
Hamas’s Gaza – not a garden of roses after all. Apparently Gazans are marching against Hamas rule, calling for protests on Facebook. Yet, Hamas controlled police disperse protesters. At the same time neither PA or Hamas have organized over-due elections, so are now both usurping power while they appear to be mulling elections at...
Courtesy of Philosemitism, operating out of Belgium: Surtout retenez que le célèbre philosophe norvégien Jostein Gaarder, dans sa très générosité d’intellectuel européen, daigne reconnaître que l’Europe est responsable de la Shoah et va jusqu’à accorder au peuple juif le droit d’avoir un pays. Source: (Jostein Gaarder: my op-ed was not anti-semitic) Cinq ans après...
It seems the governing body of the Socialist International only yesterday realized that Mubaraks National Democratic Party was among their member masses. They summarily fired it, thus trying to pretend that they have always had their house in order, and that this membership was merely a blib, an unfortunate oversight. Norway’s labor party is...
Øyvind Vaksdal (Progress Party) is tireless in his fight against anti-Semitism. Without him and Hans Olav Syversen (Christian Democrats) on guard, there would be more cause for concern than there is. Today Vaksdal posed the following question: The President of the Storting I allow myself to raise this question, to be answered in writing...
Tuesday, February 1st: in Dagbladet we can read (above left) about how academic and Middle East-expert Bjørn Olav Utvik states that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is a “Middle Eastern equivalent” of the Norwegian Christian Democrats. This sort of reductionism makes little sense, as it makes the Norwegian Christian Democrats the Scandinavian equivalent of...
Jordan’s King Abdullah has just dissolved his government and has named ex-military advisor Marouf Bakhit new prime minister with instruction to develop and implement true political reforms. Yet another Arab country has gone haywire over food inflation, economic stagnation, corruption and lack of basic civic rights. None of these developments are related to Israel-Palestine...