From Associated Press’ Karl Ritter, Chief of Nordics & Baltics News; Norway election focused on oil wealth, welfare By KARL RITTER (AP) – 4 hours ago OSLO — Norway’s left-leaning government faced a splintered opposition Monday in an election focussed on how to manage the Nordic nation’s soaring oil wealth and seal cracks in...
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 […]
Foreign – on Norway
UPJF: “Les citoyens d’Europe qui refusent d’acheter la moindre patate douce d’Israël”
The French-Belgian newspaper Le Soir has printed an article where Norway is championed as a pioneer in the international battle against Israel. The UPJF comments here: “Quand il s’agit de grossir une situation défavorable à Israël, Le Soir n’y va pas de main morte. Mais quand s’agit de rendre compte d’une situation diamétralement opposée, Le Soir...
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...
La Norvège désinvestit tout en investissant dans la même société israélienne
Norway’s Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen (Socialist Left) has ordered oil fund holdings with Israeli companies to be scrutinized, in order to ascertain whether they are in violation with ethical considerations. Upon finding out that the Israeli company Elbit has delivered technology to the separation wall between Israel and Gaza, she kicked Elbit out of...
NIJ’s reply to Yehuda Bauer
In The Jerusalem Post on July 26th Yehuda Bauer comments upon how Norway is criticized for celebrating Knut Hamsun and heading the ITF for Holocaust Remembrance – in the same year. Bauer suggests that such criticism is misplaced and is concerned over “an increasing Jewish tendency to fight… friends instead of enemies”. Regrettably, Bauer is...
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...
Metropolis: Holl embraces Controversy in Norway
Here is another article on the controversy over Knut Hamsun, Holl embraces controversy in Norway in Metropolis, by journalist Tim Moran. It’s a well written piece on the architect of the Hamsun centre Steven Holl which also manages, like so many other foreign articles, to cover in one swoop what we Norwegians argue over...
Anette Trettebergstuen, laïque, militante gay et anti-israélienne
The Norwegian media seem reluctant to pick up on how Annette Trettebergstuen’s lifted a quote from this site (NIJ) and then apparently attributed it to an “Israeli newspaper” . Is it because she is a young woman in a man’s world? Because she is Labor? Because she is on the Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee?...
Jonas Gahr Støre on the peace process
Philosemitism, a website with quite a “Norwegian section”, alerts to an article concerning Norway on EJP, where Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Labor) comments on how Israel’s actions in East Jerusalem are “jeopardizing the peace process”. Mr.Støre himself has jeopardized Norway’s reputation by lying about Trine Lilleng, claiming in an interview that she “is...
Norvège: la diplomate Trine Lilleng serait promue malgré son email antisémite
Philosemitism is a Belgium-based blog which also covers Norway. The blog does quite of bit of translation, from English to French. Here is an excerpt from one of Philosemitism’s posts, – from the French edition of the Jersualem Post – on Trine Lilleng. En apprenant par le Haaretz que la diplomate norvégienne Trine Lilleng basée à...
The Guardian on Hamsun: Norwegian Wood
The Guardian, Saturday August 8th, journalist Jonathan Glancey covers the contemporary Hamsun debate in the article Norwegian Wood. Glancey is one of the few journalists to pick up on the invitation of Bodil Børset (Hamsun Centre) to Efraim Zuroff (Wiesenthal Centre). In this invitation, which was issued as a letter (in Norwegian) to Aftenposten...
The Independent: Nobel Prize Winner Fell for Hitler
Although the debate over Knut Hamsun is an international one, the Norwegian Hamsun debate appears to be an in-house affair. Norwegian newspapers make little mention of foreign perspectives on the issues raised. When foreign criticism is mentioned, it is usually angrily rejected, as when Aftenposten states that the thoughts of the “Israeli far right…...
Huffington Post: Will the real Norway please stand up?
August 5th, 2009; Huffington Post runs the article Fighing or whitewashing nazism: Will the real Norway please stand up, by Rabbi Abraham Cooper. Now Norway is not an easily accessible country for foreigners, because of the language barrier. It is therefore only to be expected that foreigners attempting to understand Norway will experience some difficulty...
Book review: Behind the Humanitarian Mask
Here is a book review by Moshe Yegar, a former Israeli ambassador to Sweden, printed in Israel Today, a scholarly journal. Behind the Humanitarian Mask: The Nordic Countries, Israel and the Jews. Edited by Manfred Gerstenfeld. Jerusalem, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, 2008. 256 pages....
Letter from Wiesenthal Center to Jonas Gahr Störe
The Danish author Carsten Jensen recently compared his position on immigration politics to the situation of Anna Frank – hiding in an attic and waiting desperately for help. It would be helpful if somebody pointed out to the great Dane how his situation is nothing like Anna Frank’s at all. Unfortunately, Mr.Jensen is not the only person in...
Trine Lilleng still in Riyadh – possibly promoted
The position of the Norwegian government on the Middle East is becoming increasingly indefensible. Just the other day the skeleton of Mulla Krekar came rattling out of the closet. Now in Haaretz, July 22nd, 2009, journalist Cnaan Liphshiz writes an article on Trine Lilleng under the heading: Did Norway promote a diplomat who compared...
Aftenposten: Hamsun celebration no indication of anti-Semitism
Knut Hamsun is again debated. Internationally. The debate is on how Norway combines a celebration of nazi-author Knut Hamsun’s 150th birthday with chairing the ITF for Holocaust Remembrance. The Norwegian reaction to the debate is muted. The unspoken agreement seems to be that if we all close our eyes, this entire affair will blow...
27 talkbacks on Haaretz article on Knut Hamsun
A bit jumbled up, but here they are. Talkbacks to Cnaan Liphshiz’s article on Knut Hamsun in Haaretz on July 7th. Walid from Beirut is our favorite. There is something very familiar about the tone in which he writes, and his resentment against Gerstenfeld is conspicuous. Just look at Magnus K. from Trondheim. One...
Neue Zürcher Zeitung:Abwege zum Ruhm
An increasing number of newspapers and websites are picking up on the controversial Norwegian decision to honor nazi author Knut Hamsun AND head the ITF for Holocaust Remembrance – all in the same year. Here is an excerpt from one of the leading Swiss newspapers – Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Read an excerpt here and...
French reactions to “How not to market a Norwegian fjord”
For only a few days ago this site published a story on “How not to market a Norwegian fjord“. The story originated on the Norwegian website Document.no, was translated into french on Philosemitism, and from there spread to a number of French speaking sites. For the results, google: “Quel rapport entre les fjords norvégiens et...