NORWAC doctor Mads Gilbert has claimed that Operation Cast Lead was “worse” than WWII Warsaw. When confronted with his statement today, he denies ever having made it. From an editorial in the Jerusalem Post, which Aftenposten editor Harald Stanghelle holds in such a very low regard: The BBC producer interviewed a Norwegian physician, Mads...
Norway, Israel and the Jews
- Happy 17th of MayOnce more, we gather under our flag to celebrate our freedom. Each 17th of May, the Jewish community in Oslo organize a formal and serene commemoration of Henrik Wergeland, the son of one of the member of the Constituent Assembly for our Constitution. In its original version, our Constitution was shamed by the exclusion of Jews and Jesuits in Norway, som […]
- “Minister of justice” to Jews in Oslo: too badThe synagogue in Oslo – already one of the most fortified structures in Norway – applied to the government for additional funds to secure its congregation. They asked for NOK 21 million but got NOK 7 million. After all the speeches Støre and Stoltenberg with no end to the flowery assurances, this is what it comes down to: Jews should be content feeling prett […]
- The Jewish Community in Oslo applied for NOK 21 million for security measures, only got NOK 7,2lifted from Vårt Land Synagogues receive NOK 7.2 million for security The money goes towards securing doors, upgrade the monitoring system and setting up a security fence. The Government proposes in the revised national budget to allocate 7.2 million forsecurity at the Jewish Religious Community (DMT). - No one should have to be afraid to exercise their rel […]
- Letter from a 17-year old Jewish boyAftenposten today published an op-ed from “Daniel,” a 17-year old Norwegian student who happens to be Jewish. He feels surrounded by antisemitic attitudes, ranging from comments by a fellow video game player (“just pretend they’re Jews when you aim at them”), to the inevitable “so you support killing babies?” when he mentions he supports Israel, to the inabi […]
- PalCom action ‘small and unsuccessful’lifted from miff.no Palestine Committee’s action was “small and unsuccessful” Only a small number of provocateurs from Palestine Committee participated in a store action against Israel’s Dead Sea products in Oslo last Tuesday (May 16) evening. The police were notified in advance and got them quickly away from the place. By Conrad Myrland Published: 16/05/201 […]
- VG’s Astrid Meland attacks Pal activists and media for unethical focus on IsraelAstrid Meland published an OpEd in VG on May 14, which currently is not online. MIFF has published a review article online, from where I have lifted the following: Astrid Meland believes Israel’s critics in Norway are victim of a collective neurosis, where you turn a blind eye to much worse breaches of human rights by other states. - Unethical focus on Isra […]
- Stand up, stand up – for the Hebrew MamitaIf I were a man, I would seriously consider inviting this lady out for dinner. Since I am not, I can only say – WAY TO GO, SISTER! linkscolor = "000000"; highlightscolor = "888888"; backgroundcolor = "FFFFFF"; channel = "none"; […]
- Oopsie – Norwegian academia has become synonymous with academic anti-Semitismlifted from ynetnews.com This is the cost of allowing a guy like Galtung to roam free – regardless of round rejection of his recent remarks, this was by no means the first time the ‘mad professor’ let it rip, as is evident by the details of this op-ed. Why did not the Norwegian intelligentia react at an earlier stage? Did they perhaps agree with the previous […]
- Gloves are off: MIFF (With Israel for Peace) reports the PalCom to the policeLifted from miff.no What can I say? Bravo! MIFF is doing an incredibly important job and luckily their hard efforts are rewarded with a healthy growth in their memberships. Maybe readers of this blog could be entreated to find a way of supporting MIFF? By the way, I have no relation to MIFF, personally or professionally – this is just a courtesy call to reco […]
- What Karsten Tveit’s award really signifiesOdd Karsten Tveit wins the Gullruten lifetime award for his propaganda news coverage from the Middle East. When it comes to correspondents in the Middle East sent by NRK (the governmental broadcasting organization financed by a surcharge on owning a television), it’s a bit like watching the Eurovision song contest: you can endlessly discuss who is worse. Bu […]
Anti-Israeli sentiment in Norway
Aftenposten and the Palestinian narrative of ethnic cleansing
On August 30th Aftenposten printed a letter from Line Khateeb of the Norwegian Palestine Committee where she referred to the eviction of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem on August 2nd as “ethnic cleansing”. One of NIJ’s readers wrote Aftenposten in reply, pointing out that East Jerusalem (like most of the rest of the Arab...
NTNU seminars on Middle East – based on research or bias?
NTNU, a prestigious Norwegian university, is this autumn offering a series of seminars on the Middle East. Seeing as how it’s NTNU one would normally expect only the best. Yet the series of seminars as a whole appears rather unbalanced. Clearly we will hear the Palestinian narrative, but who is there to provide the...
Norwegian WCC general secretary supports extreme Palestinian demand
An old Norwegian saying goes: “You may take my matpakke, but you can never stop my legitime kritikk av Israel“. Actually there isn’t any such saying but for some there might as well be. Legitimate criticism is all well and fine. But how is it that so many Norwegians feel the need to legitimately...
Finance Minister kicks Israeli company out of Pension Fund
The Norwegian Pension Fund is vast. It is placed in holdings throughout the globe. Jerusalem Post now alerts to how Minister of Finance Kristin Halvorsen (Socialist Left) has thrown the Israeli company Elbit out of the Pension Fund. See an unauthorized translation from Norwegian E24 below, here. The reason for the exclusion? The Pension...
Norway: election opinion polls show gov on defensive
Here is the latest opinion polls. Roughly broken down the “Reds” – left of centre parties – are in favour of the “right of return” and such. The “Blues” – right of centre parties – understand how “the right of return” is unacceptable to the people of Israel as an influx of five million...
Reader query: Will donations to Palestinian organizations be scrutinized too?
A reader asks whether donations to Palestinian organization, like those to Israeli organizations, will be subjected to the same level of scrutiny (As we have posted on the Socialst Left wants to end tax exemptions for donations to Israeli organizations operating on the West Bank). This is a highly relevant topic. Norway is a...
Norway, UNRWA and Holocaust denial
This year Norway heads the ITF for Holocaust Remembrance. Norway is also one of UNRWA’s largest sponsors, which do not teach about the Holcaust in their Gaza-schools. Why? Hamas won’t allow it. Perhaps Erik Solheim should pop over to Gaza and lay down the law? linkscolor = "000000"; highlightscolor = "888888"; backgroundcolor = "FFFFFF";...
DagenMagazinet: SV wants to stop NGO donations to Westbank, scrutinizes investements in Israel
This year Norway head the ITF. Norway is also one of UNRWA five largest sponsors, and UNRWA does not teach about the Holcaust at their schools. Meanwhile, StatoilHydro is looking to invest in Turkemenistan, while the red-green government is driving to stop Norwegian organizations from making donations and investing in Israel. The reason? Ah,...
JP: Firm denies allegations made by Norwegian NGO
From the JP: Norwatch – an “independent news service” that “conducts critical journalistic investigation n Norwegian businesses in developing countries” – claimed in an article on its Web site last week that BlackRock – a premier provider of global investment management, risk management and advisory services with assets under management totalling $1.373 trillion –...
Video: Willoch’s analysis is misleading and simplistic
Former premier Kåre Willoch (Conservatives) has for years (recent example in Aftenposten) claimed to find support for his allegations of Israeli atrocities in the findings of Israeli historian Benny Morris. Here in a video from Norway’s largest Pro-Israel organization – With Israel for Peace (MIFF) – we hear what Morris himself thinks of this....
Editorial on Boström: “The disgusting brew”
Unauthorized translation from DagenMagazinet: Aftonbladet is Sweden’s largest newspaper. On August 17th the newspaper, in its culture section, printed a long “article” by freelance journalist Donald Boström. The article was a disgusting anti-Semitic brew. Aftonbladet’s editors should have discovered that at first glance. But when this obviously did not happen, it begs the question...
“Dr.Mads” slips into Gaza, is angered by difficult question
Norwegian dog lovers hoping to hear more about Aftenposten’s ME correspondent Jørgen Lohne’s family dog – a five year old golden retriever by the name of Maja – were disappointed this morning when Mr. Lohne failed to mention Maja with as much as a word. Instead Mr.Lohne writes about the infamous NORWAC doctor Mads...
Dagsavisen: reaction to Boström article is “rabid”
Dagsavisen’s take on Boström’s blood libel appears to be that the Israeli reaction is politically opportunistic and helps create anti-Semitism. What Mr. Iversen does here is to spin the scandal over Boström’s smear into criticism against Israel. It’s crude, but no mean feat technically speaking. European Championship in anti-Semitism In his book ”Å gjøre en forskjell” Foreign...
Lieberman critisizes Norway, is critisized by Norwegians
Haaretz notifies us that Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is critisizing Norway. This puzzles some Norwegians while it makes other Norwegians extremely angry. The puzzled go: “What, Hamsun again? We’ve discussed him all our lives?” The angry go… well, go and read Aftenposten or have a look at our favorite Haaretz talkback: If Lieberman...
Norway and Sweden: funding Israel’s enemies
Jerusalem Post August 19th – Gerald Steinberg writes the article Swedish government funds anti-Semitic NGO’s. As any Scandinavian will tell you, Sweden and Norway are in many ways very similar – we speak more or less the same language, hold few and shallow grudges against our neighbors, are dedicated to the idea of wealth...
Donald Boström calls upon Israel to prove innocence
Aftonbladet’s Donald Boström admits he does not have any evidence of how the IDF allegedly steals organs from people, yet insists that Israel must prove her innocence. Which is an interesting way of looking at things. Here is an unauthorized translation from journalist Martin Schori in Swedish Dagensmedia: The journalist who wrote the much...
Norwegian ME correspondent writes about his dog
Mr. Jørgen Lohne is Aftenposten’s correspondent in the Middle East. As an “ear on the ground” for Aftenposten, a larger Norwegian daily, he is pretty much an “ear on the ground” for all of Norway. On August 18th Aftenposten published one of Mr. Lohne’s stories – about how his pet dog Maja is acclimatizing...
Benny Morris: “Kåre Willoch lies”
There is unfortunately no “anti-Norwegian” smear campaign to blame. When Norway looks bad it’s because prominent Norwegians, in their endeavours to smear Israel, occassionally go wrong and smear themselves by accident. The most recent example is Trettebergstuen’s attribution of a quote from this site (“In addition to being gay, Trettebergstuen is fiercely secular”) to...
Did HRW official support Munich massacre?
According to Tundra Tabloids, senior HRW official Joe Stork supported the Munich massacre. TT has posted a translated article by Ben-Dror Yemini in the Hebrew newspaper Ma’ariv, p 13, on 16.8.09, which is copied below. If this story proves to be true, the Norwegian newspapers which took the HRW claims of “white flag killings”...