The weekly summary below is provided by Normakor.
Norwegian media memes on Israel, Jews, and the Middle East
Week of May 29, 2011
Foreign minister Jonas Gahr Støre issued a response (unauthorized Israelwhat translation) to Hans Olav Syversen that clarified some, but not all of the parisology in Norway’s policy toward Israel and the Palestinians. The recurring mantra is that the Norwegian government will “wait and see” about accepting a Hamas-Fatah unity government, pending its political platform. He indicated the Quartet’s requirements as a guideline and also, rather recklessly, said that “nobody” expects Israel to negotiate with a rejectionist Hamas. Meanwhile, he is urging parties to return to the negotiating table.
Sidsel Wold filed a report claiming that a) Israel lacked a “functioning opposition,” (with which she explicitly means a more powerful radical left), and b) that Tzipi Livni was Israel’s first female foreign minister and party leader. (Unauthorized translation and commentary from Israelwhat).
The Norwegian Center for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies has published two op-eds about neonatal male circumcision lately, one in Dagbladet, the other in Aftenposten. They are strongly opposed to the practice but cite no scientific evidence, except to claim, fantastically, that just multiple studies fail to show a traumatic effect, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t any. The writer Hans Fredrik Dahl also wrote about this issue, complaining about the lack of gender equality on the matter. It wasn’t clear what his position was, but he said about seven Jewish boys undergo brit milah in Norway every year. That sounds about right.
The Norwegian daily medical trade paper conducted a survey among some of the leading hospitals in Norway, and these universally claimed that complications from “amateur” circumcisions are so rare that the public health system shouldn’t be burdened with performing them for non-medical reasons.
The Norwegian parliament rejected a proposal to follow the examples of the Netherlands, France, Poland, and others to designate a particular day – in our case November 26 – as a Holocaust Memorial Day. This is consistent with Norway’s insistence on being identified with the liberators – and not the perpetrators and bystanders – in the Holocaust.
Claiming that things were getting awkward constitutionally, Akhtar Chaudhry – a vice president of parliament and a member of the Socialist Left party – decided not to be a passenger in the Ship to Gaza flotilla. The various efforts to cancel the flotilla are being noted in the Norwegian press, though it all seems a bit confusing. Meanwhile, the press has commemorated the first anniversary of the last flotilla by rather consistently referring to it as a “blood bath.”
The University of Tromsø is hosting “international week” for the United Nations Association, where three of the most ardent anti-Israeli activists (including Mads Gilbert) are in a panel to discuss Israel/Palestine. Israelwhat has some helpful suggestions on questions that might cause disagreement and actual debate.
Violence in Syria has been getting some attention in the press. There was a remarkable delay in reporting events in Yemen, and as of this writing the Norwegian press hasn’t mentioned: the apparent cancellation of Naksa border demonstrations, or the Egyptian closure of Rafah.
Looking ahead, the press is likely to focus on
- Demonstrations or other unrest directed at Israel, especially against borders.
- The premise that Netanyahu’s position is to reject peace talks under any circumstances. Sidsel Wold’s missive about the (allegedly non-functioning) political opposition is part of a narrative to make Netanyahu out to be tone-deaf, obstinate, and a hostage to religious fundamentalists in his coalition.
- Syria, which is getting increasingly hard to ignore.
- Further developments in Abbas’s bid to collect votes for a UNGA recognition of a Palestinian state defined by the 1949 armistice lines. NRK’s coverage of Yom Yerushalayim does nothing to explain the meaning of “East Jerusalem” to Jews or Israelis.
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This weekly update is an editorialized summary of key themes in the Norwegian coverage of Israel, Jewish matters, and the Middle East. Normakor also maintains a Norwegian-language comprehensive media stream of these items.
