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, 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 […]
Posts Tagged ‘ Knut Hamsun ’
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...
Hamsun and the Holocaust – jumping to conclusions
In Verdens Gang – Norway’s largest daily – on Saturday August 15th we can find the following letter from a reader: Hamsun – year: So much is written about Hamsun’s political views. Can one not soon finish with that debate, and instead look at the positive aspects of his person. Sit down and read...
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...
Where is Bodil Børset?
A little while back we were looking for Trine Lilleng, the first secretary at the Norwegian Embassy in Riyadh who compared Israelis to Nazis. As Haareetz subsequently found out, she had not only kept her job at the Embassy but had been promoted to boot. As Haaretz points out this: …contrasts with Norwegian Foreign...
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...
Arouts 7 on Hamsun: La Norvège veut honorer un écrivain nazi
In Arouts 7, a free Israel daily report, journalist Shraga Blum writes about how Norway is both celebrating Knut Hamsun, who collaborated with the nazi regime during WWII, and is heading the ITF for Holocaust Remembrance. La Norvège veut honorer un écrivain nazi Il n’est pas exclu que l’attitude hostile envers Israël adoptée par...
Ueland counterpunches Medoff: “Holocaust education should not be intertwined with Hamsun’s life and work”
June 29th, Rafael Medoff enters the ring with “A tale of 2 Norwegian Nobel Prize winners for Literature” in the Jerusalem Post. Carries himself like Jack Dempsey, the “Manassas Mauler”. Punches like a donkey kicks. States that Norway should not laud Knut Hamsun, who cooperated with the nazi regime during WWII, but rather Sigrid...
Wallenberg Centre slams Norway for “vindicating Nazis”
Norwegians have debated the vices and virutes of Knut Hamsun since the war and we are exactly at the same place as when we started. “Yes, he was a Nazi” we agree. Some say: “But he was a great author so we may honor him.” Others reply: “We cannot honor a nazi, regardless of how...
Hamsun debate spreads to Romania: Norway invites Israelis to debate…
Not many people are familiar with Norway or things Norwegian, but Knut Hamsun is famous around the world. Sadly, the egocentric clown was, in addition to being a great author, also a supporter of Adolf Hitler who gave his Nobel prize to Joseph Goebbels. Norway is now set to celebrate Hamsun’s 150th birthday in the very...
Hamsun debate spreads to Poland: Hamsun w ogniu krytyki
Poland has played an important role in European history since King Sobieski of Poland defeated Grand Vizer Mustafa Pasha at the battle of Vienna in 1683, thus breaking the Ottoman advance into Europe and ushering in the reign of the Habsburgs. Because of the iron-curtain thing they were absent for a while but now...
Haaretz July 7th: The Hamsun debate continues
Haaretz runs a new article today on how Norway this year, cleverly, balances celebrating the 150th birthday of author Knut Hamsun – a nazi supporter – with heading the ITF on Holocaust Remembrance. We couldn’t really postpone either one, what was one to say: “No, I’m afraid we cannot head the ITF, we’re celebrating...
45 talkbacks on Hamsun article in Jerusalem Post
As of July 1st there were 45 talkbacks on Rafael Medoff’s article on Knut Hamsun in the Jerusalem Post. It is interesting to remember how Harald Stanghelle, editor at Aftenposten, quite recently slammed the JP with the following words: ONCE UPON A TIME The Jerusalem Post was an important newspaper. For all of us who on a...
Newspaper: “Israel puzzled over Norwegian recognition of Knut Hamsun”
Few Norwegians are intimately familiar with the works of Knut Hamsun, but a lot of us have read at least a few of his books. Hamsun is one of the very few internationally recognized Norwegians. In 2009 the plan is for Norway to celebrate Knut Hamsun’s 150th birthday at the same time as we head the International Task...
Director of the Hamsun Centre says “Let’s talk!”
Norway is not much noticed internationally. This year however, Norway is wearing two hats which do not automatically go well together – Norway is both head of the Task Force for Holocaust Rememberance AND celebrating Knut Hamsun’s 150th anniversary. This rather pecualiar mix has not gone unnoticed by Dutch, Israeli, American and Danish newspapers....
From the Nederlands Dagblad: Noorwegen en Holocaust…
The ghost of Knut Hamsun will haunt Norway forever. But especially now, as Norway is head of the Task Force for Holocaust Remembrence. Here is an excerpt from the Nederlands Dagblad: Noorwegen is dit jaar voorzitter geworden van de ITF, de taskforce voor internationale samenwerking op het gebied van Holocaustonderwijs, herinnering en onderzoek. Hoe...