They say a person only truly dies when nobody talks of them any more. Isaak Meyer Goldman lived in the small Arctic town of Hammerfest before WWII, possibly the only Jew there, yet that was one too many for this tiny community, who failed to protect him when an illegal arrest warrant was issued...
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 […]
Art and the humanities
1st of May rallies in Norway: bashing Israel
lifted from Vårt Land Slogans against Israel in the cities In Bergen, 1st of may organizers are accused of Jew hatred. - Nonsense, the city’s trade union leader responds. “Free Palestine – Boycott Israel”, “Stop the Israeli occupation – recognize Palestine” -slogans like these are repeated in many of the rallies that mark this year’s 1st of May...
A suggestion for the SILK festival: invite author Kjersti Dybvig to talk about her book
If the organizers of the SILK festival have any decency, they should cancel their appointment with Galtung after his scandalous nazi-rant. In stead, and supplementing the planned event covering the book about Moritz Rabinowitz on November 5, they should invite the author of the book Jews and Police in Stavanger, the convenient lightness of...
Galtung gets flogged in Norwegian press
Here is a small selection of reactions to Galtungs rants. All, bar a literature and culture festival located at a small hamlet outside Haugesund, condemn Galtung. The festival SILK plans to host Galtung as a main attraction, see bottom of page for translation article in Haugesunds Avis. Dagbladet , editorial 2012 04 29 FROM A...
Apart from Sidsel Wold, nobody else thinks Grass has a clue
Although many, in Israel and also in Norway as well as many other countries too, think that declaring Grass a persona non-grata in Israel was a bit over the top, so far, apart from – as my very eloquent friend Kafka has shared with us – Sidsel wold, who in most of her career...
Trondheim, not exactly your shteitale Beltz
Any Lansman carries in his or her heart, in one form or another, fond memories of the lovely village Beltz. Sure enough, most often the Beltz we carry within us is a romantic, perhaps even a unrealistic representation of an ideal that cannot ever be reconstructed. Regardless of that childlike yearning, the comparison with...
State sanctioned anti-Israelism
A couple of days ago, we referred once more to the infamous book, Daddy is a pirate, by medic and author Hans Sande, and how the Israeli embassy was infuriated by the Norwegian Cultural Council’s decision to sponsor this book, which casts Israeli’s as beasts. The Israeli ambassador complained, and today we have the...
The Norwegian Church Minister to Jerusalem to open Gullvåg exhibition
Ministry of Government Administration, Reform, and Church Affairs Press release 2011 12 02 No signature Summary. The Minister of Government administration, reform and church affairs, Rigmor Aasrud, is to visit Jerusalem. She will speak to religious leaders on Israeli and Palestinian side, and visit religious sites. Among her visits, one will be a visit...
Israel is furious over support for children’s book that casts Israelis as evil
With this act, Norway is drawing closer to the end of the limb where good relations fall off. We may also suggest to the new director (who, to be accurate, has had no involvement with this decision, he was only appointed this week) for the Cultural Council, Yngve Slettholm, that he familiarizes himself with the...
Educational expo – lets make a Jew-smoothie
Here he mixes a “Jew-smoothie” “Don’t let the name of the smoothie ruin your appetite! The ingredients will do, “the web portal Velgyrkesfag.no published, after a hired actor mixed” Jew smoothie “in front of hundreds of school children. - Distasteful and vulgar, according to historian and lecturer. by: Susanne Lysvold Under the title “Normal and obscene...
Støre calls Israel’s retention of PA tax after breach of Oslo accords “water boarding of economy”, but is mum on Syria torture
Our FM Støre made head lines around the world last week, when he accused Israel of water boarding the PA economy in response to the PA’s unilateral actions at the UN, in contravention of the Oslo agreement. Yesterday, a UN report concluded that The substantial body of evidence gathered by the commission indicates that...
Finn Graff’s cartoons came home to roost
In relation with the release of Gilad Shalit from unlawful kidnapping in Gaza, more than 1000 Palestinian terrorists, many with lots of blood on their hands, Norwegian cartoonist Finn Graff found no better way to celebrate the fact than to draw an anti-Semitic cartoon. At the time, Mr. Graff and (former) editor in chief...
Lars Gule: Many Israelis are aware that their land has been built on stolen land
I must admit I am at a loss as to what the purpose of Lars Gules never-ending story in Minervanett is. Is it a book review? Is it an essay? Or is it just the ramblings of a man who has fallen in love with his own voice? The good thing I suppose, is...
Bell Martin: Short summary of children’s book daddy is a pirate
Do you remember the children’s book by Norwegian psychiatrist and Palcom author Hans Sande that cast Israeli soldiers first as cruel, denying Palestinians water, then stupid – getting drunk on duty to let the pirate daddy sneak past the control post? Reader Bell Martin has read the book, and provided a short resume and some...
Visit Harry’s Place, they too keep a watchful eye on Norway
A reader suggested I should link up with Harry’s Place to optimize scrutiny of Norwegian anti-Israeli or anti-Semitic activities. I found an interesting article on yet another depressing event at the University of Trondheim: Atzmon in Trondheim Sarah AB, November 1st 2011, 2:38 pm Although there is something to be said for not giving...
Klassekampen journalist who wrote a really bad book, takes bad review out on gays, Africans and Jews.
Here is the story on how a failed author and Klassekampen journalist Mimir Kristjansson took it out on gays, Africans and Jews in childish tantrum after stinging book review (Thanks to the reader who sent me the story and translated for me, much obliged!) Knut Olav Amaas, culture editor in Aftenposten, wrote a short...
Anti-Semitic exhibition that was sponsored by Norwegian Church Aid removed after student protests
Yesterday we reported on an anti-Semitic exhibition at Nesbru High School, and how the school, at the time the local newspaper – Budstikka – wrote the story, had not yet decided whether or not to remove the entire exhibition. Miff.no brings us the latest developments (unauthorized translation): Demonization of Israel removed after student protests...
Norwegian Jews: Dagbladet demonizes Israel
It is not only the Jewish Congregation in Oslo that reacts with disgust to Finn Graffs offensive drawing. An article by Vårt Land, explores not only the shock and disgust among Norwegian Jews, but also that of other editors, including Jahn Otto Johansen, the former (and formidable) editor in chief of Dagbladet. Norwegian Jews...
Dagbladet cartoonist Finn Graff: “Jedem das Seine” to illustrate article on prisoner swap
The leader of the Jewish congregation in Oslo, Erwin Kohn, has reacted strongly to a drawing by Dagbladet cartoonist Finn Graff, where he draws Palestinian prisoners being released into another “prison” – Gaza, and inserts the Buchenwald KZ lager insignia; Jedem das Seine (to each what he deserves). Kohn has written an oped in...