Norway, Israel and the Jews
The Norwegian government finds the blockade of Gaza to be unacceptable, but not in violation of international law. Things change. It’s back and forth and to and fro. Now Norwegian newspapers are reporting that the Norwegian MFA has taken the stance that while the blockade of Gaza is unacceptable, it is not in violation...
Norway is a perfectly normal democracy in which the opposition gets to post critical questions to government. Sometimes, the media even picks up on them. Norway FM Jonas Gahr Støre has now replied to a question from member of the Storting Torkil Åmland (Progressives). In brief, it’s “no”. A REPLY TO A QUESTION CONCERNING...
Question from Torkil Åmland of the Progressive Party to foreign minister Jonas Gahr Støre: Will the foreign minister retract his previous condemnation of Israel’s reaction to the border violation on June 5th this year, and instead condemn the Syrian government’s organization of the event? Støre’s short response is “No.” Here is the unauthorized translation...
Jerusalem Post runs an open letter, penned by Shimon Samuels, to Norway FM Støre. Will Støre reply? Visit JP for the entire letter. Excerpt: Mr. Foreign Minister, your statement seems to fly in the face of both your training as a military officer and your country’s own World War II history. Your June 7...
Clearly, we have underestimated Støre’s political acumen. In Dagsnytt 18, he (of course) expressed great consternation at reports of antisemitism but (of course) wanted to separate antisemitism and anti-Israeli attitudes. It was for the sake of the Norwegian Jews, he said, that “certain groups” had to stop trying to defend Israel’s “illegal ” occupation...
Foreign minister Støre wrote an article for Dagsavisen that was also published on the government website. Here follows an unauthorized translation: Dialogue: upheavals in the Arab world could also provide a framework for a new spring between Palestinians and Israelis. Our message is clear: go to the negotiating table! We are witnessing a popular...
Morten Høglund in the Progress Party posed a perfectly reasonable question to foreign minister Støre, namely whether the Norwegian government would demand from both the provisional Hamas-Fatah government, and a future Palestinian government, that it comply with the quartet requirement to a) recognize the state of Israel, b) renounce political violence, and c) commit...
Foreign minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Labor) is Norway’s most popular politician and the appointed successor to Labor leader and prime minister Jens Stoltenberg. His stance is to be critical of Israel and enthusiastic about Palestine. Regarding Richard Goldstone’s recant, Støre does not seem to see that it matters. From Verdens Gang, by journalist Erlend...
Støre replies to a question raised by Hans Olav Syversen of the Christian People’s Party. From the Parliament’s own website: A response to the question of the Goldstone report. MFA of Norway 2011 04 13 Jonas Gahr Støre Response to a question raised by Hans Olav Syversen of the CPP. Richard Goldstone’s article in...
Change is in the air: Now FM Jonas Gahr Støre is warning over participation in the “Gaza convoys”. Communist Klassekampen (Class war) is seething with anger. Verdens Gang runs the article “Støre issues warning to his own Gaza activists“, by Erlend Skevik and Mads A. Andersen. Summary: At the annual conference of the Labor Party,...
Yesterday saw a frisk debate in Parliament, on the issues of dialogue with extremist organizations and an air exclusion zone over Libya. Summary, from the MFA: ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS CONCERNING DIALOGUE AND AN AIR EXCLUSION ZONE OVER LIBYA. The FM responded to questions on dialogue and an air exclusion zone over Libya in the...
Press release from the MFA: Norway condemns assassination of Pakistani Minorities Minister Sahbaz Bhatti Sahbaz Bhatti, who was Minister of Minorities in the Pakistani federal government, was assassinated today in Islamabad. Mr Bhatti was a fearless champion of human rights and the rights of minorities in Pakistan. “I condemn the assassination of Minorities Minister...
Norway has cultivated contacts with the Palestinians for decades, and has preciously little influence with them to show for it. The PA cannot account for how Norwegian development aid is spent, and they would not attend the Nobel Peace Prize award. Now Støre is courting the Muslim Brotherhood. What’s in it? And for whom?...
Dagsavisen’s Roger Hercz once summed up Norway’s policy versus the Palestinians as “if it’s good for Palestine, it’s good for Norway”. Parliamentarian Øyvind Vaksdal (Progress Party) calls for a more balanced approach, pointing out how the PA, a major recipient of Norwegian aid, is promising both peace AND war with Israel. See Vaksdal’s question...
The Egyptian MB has political power. Should Norway develop contacts with them? If yes, to what extent? Aftenposten runs an NTB article under the heading “Norway has contact with Muslim Brotherhood”. Summary: Norway has for a long time been in contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood. The MFA confirms this to Dagsavisen. Quote: “Norway has, through its...
Øyvind Vaksdal (Progress Party) is asking a lot of questions the government would prefer not to answer. His latest question is directed at FM Jonas Gahr Støre. See below: Document no. 15: 791(2010-2011) Delivered on 2011 01 31 Sent on 2011 02 01 This question is being handled. Question: Øyvind Vaksdahl(Progressives): “In an interview...
There is much to be said for Jonas Gahr Støre. There is much to be said for the political elite to which he belongs. But he has, albeit perhaps unwillingly, being giving out the wrong signals to Hamas and thereby placed Norway in a vulnerable position. He has furthermore been rattled in front of...
Yesterday TV2 confronted FM Jonas Gahr Støre with his telephone conversations with Hamas. The MFA has rushed in a press release to explain. Now Støre probably had the best of intentions in mind when he picked up the telephone. He always does. Yet as Madonna points out, the road to hell is paved with...
Norway FM has been very naughty and admits to have enjoyed telephone-chats with Hamas leader Mashaal in Damascus in 2007. In Dagbladet above we see Støre trying to conclude the interview as he is confronted with the issue of the telephone-chats. The headline reads: “Støre caught pants-down / red-handed“. Read more about this in...
Unless there is progress in the peace process, Norway might acknowledge a Palestinian state this year. This position provides incentives for Israel, but not the Palestinians. NRK reports that FM Støre has stated that if there is an internationally coordinated process, Norway will be among the first countries to recognize a Palestinian state. Mr.Støre,...