With reference to yesterday’s post that Norwegian Jews are reluctant to be registered as members of the Jewish congregations. Vårt Land, which prides itself on its high ethical profile, tends to slip dangerously low in actually exercising their own ethical ideals; here is a sample of what passes for polite and suitable opinion on...
Norway, Israel and the Jews
- The Norwegian Government’s hypocrisy re-exposed: “the most evil company in the world” is the second largest share holder in “Norsk Hydro”The Norwegian Government’s hypocrisy re-exposed: “the most evil company in the world” is the second largest share holder in “Norsk Hydro” Brazilian Vale, which Norwegian Hydro has a tight partnership with, only accepts the bare minimum of social responsibility, according to a new poll where Greenpeace ranked the Norwegian Hydro partner as the “the world’s mo […]
- VG’s Hanne Skartveit: the great betrayalLifted from VG. Applause to Skartveit for this eminent oped The great betrayal Synagogue OSLO (AP) We were unable to protect our Jewish compatriots during the war. And today we are unable to give them the security they need. Do we simply not care? OpEd by Hanne Skartveit In the street where I lived for some years, just outside Washington, DC, we had a neighb […]
- One week after PM’s reassurance that nobody should live in fear in Norway – Justice Minister Grete Faremo to reassess Jewish community’s security needsLifted from Dagbladet, but also mentioned in other media. Faremo to reassess Synagogue security needs – Is in constant contact with police and the Police Security Services. The Minister of Justice Grete Faremo (Labour) is reviewing the safety precautions in place for the Synagogue in Oslo, and is in constant contact with the police and the police and the sec […]
- Rockets over Israel go untoldWhile the Norwegian media rightly now focuses on the ongoing atrocities in Syria, and even our FM has felt compelled to politely tell the naughty Assad regime off for the continuing blood bath, one may perhaps be sympathetic to editors’s decision to not cover news from Israel. However, since coverage of Israel continues to be tendentious and one-eyed, one mu […]
- Norwegian support for Israel at record highLifted from Vårt Land Record Norwegian support to Israel More Norwegians buy Israeli goods, provide financial support and join the pro-Israel organizations. By: Lise Marit Kalstad and Olav Solvang Norway set a new record in the import of goods from Israel in 2011. In the last year Norway purchased Israeli goods for NOK 722 million, the corresponding number f […]
- Norwegian People’s Aid failure to report on SyriaAt a time when the rest of the world are slowly, ever so gradually starting to notice the atrocities that go on in Syria (but also many other places on our beautiful planet), one would have thought that the Norwegian People’s Aid would at least have mentioned the word Syria, somewhere, anywhere, on its web pages. But nope, not a word, yet NRK, who cannot fin […]
- The PMs Holocaust Memorial Day speech in full“Dear all, This year marks 70 years since the “Danube” cast off from this quay, and embarked on a voyage of shame . 532 Jews were brutally stowed on board. Only nine returned. One of them was Samuel Steinmann. He is the last survivor. I’m especially glad you are here with us. Today we remember the millions of innocent people who were wiped out in History’s m […]
- Our deepest regret this could happen on Norwegian soilFinally, the first real step towards acknowledging our own role in the tragedy. Only after accepting responsibility, can the hard work of forgiveness and the arduous task of reconstructing relations begin. Lifted from Aftenposten (by Elisabeth Rodum and Halvor Hegtun) PM Jens Stoltenberg (Labour) deeply regretted the deportation of Norwegian Jews at the Holo […]
- Holocaust commemoration ceremony today at 1500 hrs in OsloLifted from Dagen.no, but also covered most other news outlets. For more details on the event itself, you can go to http://www.holocaustdagen.no/ Thinks Jens will apologize to the Jews Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is expected to come up with a form of apology to the Norwegian Jews during the International Holocaust Remembrance Day today. Bjørn Arild Hatle […]
- Mixed signals from Norway as Holocaust commemoration ceremony is expected to bring a much awaited formal apology from Norway to its Jewish communityToday, at 3 PM, our PM Jens Stoltenberg is widely expected to officially and formally apologize to the Norwegian Jewish community for the state sponsored persecution and murder of Norwegian citizens with a Jewish background during the WWII. Whatever form that eventual apology finally would be presented as, does not detract from the perception that Norway con […]
Christianity
A Dickensian tale….
It is Christmas, so Norwegian priests are busy spreading their gospel. Live must be deliciously simple when all your problems are one dimensional. On his next trip to Jerusalem, I shall be happy to take the Vickar Vaaland along to the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva to meet the kids there. Of how silly of me,...
Norwegian Church Aid at it again: More violence to be used against Palestinians
They are a special lot, these Norwegian Christians… what will be their next news feed? That the Israelis (which we all know are the Jews) use children’s blood in their matze? This seems too familiar and too low, even for the Norwegian Church Aid. And the Church of Norway wonders why Norwegians don’t really...
Jewish congregation leader Ervin Kohn writes in Vårt Land that circumcision ban could lead to more xenophobia – talkbacks confirm his concern
The leader of the Jewish Congregation in Oslo has posted an oped in Vårt Land on the Children’s Ombudsman’s proposal to introduce an age limit for circumcision, in reality an attempt to ban the practice. Kohn clarifies that the author of this article is Jan Benjamin Rødner, on behalf of the Jewish Congregation in...
Former leader of Jewish Congregation in Oslo wants Norwegian Jews to debate Israel
From Vårt Land Anne Sender: The Jews must discuss Israel The former leader of the Jewish Congregation in Oslo criticizes Christian congregations that collect money for settlements Geir Ole Bjartvik geir.ole.bjartvik@vl.no. The former leader of the Jewish Congregation in Oslo says in an open in Vårt Land on Tuesday that the Jewish community in Norway...
Kudos to Lars Gule
Just as we have spotted, translated and uploaded stories where Lars Gule seems to have got the wrong end of the stick with regards to Judaism, Israel, we must be equally quick to do ditto when he takes a principled stance, and confronts some aspects of Islam that many find troublesome. Vårt Land has...
Erna Solberg says Muslims are treated like the Jews in the 1930s
The leader of Høyre, Erna Solberg has said in an interview with VG that Muslims in todays Norway are being treated like the Norwegian Jews were treated in the 1930s. To be very fair (and this is of fundamental importance in todays Norway), she has underlined that Muslims today are not subject to the...
What is identity? What is culture? What is religion?
There must be many of us who are struggling to reconcile conflicting feelings about having a wildly multicultural society thrust upon us. I am equally sure that many of those who feel that more time is needed in order to integrate the immigrants into the wider community AS WELL AS preparing the ground in...
This unbearable pain – and the work we all have a duty to do
We are so terribly pained, we Norwegians. We cannot bring ourselves to believe this horror that took place. It was unimaginable. And it shook us out of the innocent belief that this could not take place here. What kind of beast could place a bomb in the heart of Oslo at a time when...
Un dolor insoportable… y el trabajo que todos debemos hacer
Estamos muy doloridos, nosotros los Noruegos. No lo podemos creer, el horror que paso. Fue algo inimaginable. Y nos saco de la inocencia de que aca no pasa nada. Que tipo de bestia puede poner una bomba en pleno centro de Oslo, en la hora cuando la gente sale de sus trabajos, para volver...
Adios a un grande, farewell to Facundo Cabral
A great troubadour, perhaps the last of his kind, was brutally shot and murdered in Guatemala City this morning. Facundo Cabral, a stellar performer in all of the Americas, but also in Israel and other Middle Eastern countries and in Africa, was declared a world messenger of peace by UNESCO in 1996. Hit hard...
Vårt Land is runner up to dishonest reporting
Vårt Land, the Christian daily which takes a wait and see approach to Israel, seems to need a little home schooling when it comes to geography, political realities of the Galilean hills. In a short article they inform us that the mayor of Jesus’s hometown refused to put up a christmas tree on the...
Church of Norway – a ministry of dark deeds
That the Church of Norway still has to own up to some pretty horrific views on Jews and Israel is already old news. We have previously written about how bishops minister to congregants on how the Jews no longer have a claim to the land of Israel, this on the heels of other howler,...
Norwegian Church Aid organizes neutral fact-finding field trip to Hebron. Not!
The Norwegian Church Aid organized a field trip to Hebron with special invitees: Hadja Tajik, Labor who leg humped unwritten parliamentary rules to not use the Rostrum of the Parliament for cheap populism and sported a kaffiyeh in support of Mavi Marmari Islamic tugs, and is star member of the Friends of Palestine faction...
Bishop is the new Prophet
The Rev. Harald Nordhaug, the bishop of Bjørgvin offers new exegetic insights and refers to Palestinian political priest Naim Ateek with whom he cosponsored an event in Bergen this week. According to the Reverend Bishop, the Bible (as in the New Testament) does not hold any particular promise to the Jews regarding the Land,...
JP: Christian families in Bethlehem say Muslim thugs are persecuting them
Norwegian journalists, scholars and clergymen usually attribute the difficulties of Palestinian Christians to Israel. They do not tell us about how Palestinian Muslims persecute Palestinian Christians, nor about how this is part of a larger picture where Christians having been forced out of Muslim countries for centuries. The article below was first published in...
Un anti-israélien nommé à la tête du Conseil œcuménique des Eglises
From Philosemitism: Menahem Macina écrivait le 28/08: “L’”occupation israélienne” doit être considérée comme un “péché contre Dieu”, a déclaré le pasteur Samuel Kobia, secrétaire général du Conseil œcuménique des Eglises (COE). On connaissait l’hostilité larvée de cette organisation oecuménique protestante majeure, à l’égard d’Israël. Elle fait désormais preuve d’une hostilité déclarée, accompagnée de propos qui...
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...
Christian Democrats: “Horrible of Hamas to deny the Holocaust”
The red-green government has been a staunch supporter of the PA, Hamas and the UNRWA. Yet when it is revealed that Hamas rejects tuition on the Holocaust in Gaza-schools, the red-green government is silent. Perhaps Norwegians should take the criticism from Sri Lanka to heart – perhaps Solheim the Silent is indeed a fitting...