RSS Norway, Israel and the Jews

  • Muslim offer Intifada against anti-Semitism
    The Palestine-lobby is facing a problem. Anti-Semitism in Norwegian schools has become too obvious a problem to ignore. But it is difficult to handle since the perpetrators are mainly muslim students and people are recognizing that the boundaries between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are blurred. So the anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian crowd is facing a problem […]
  • Anti-Semitism is Norwegian problem, not ‘muslim-problem’
    There is a lot of focus on muslim anti-Semitism right now, and rightly so. As NRK’s Tormod Strand has disclosed, muslim children have brought anti-Semitism back into the Norwegian schools. Yet Kristin Halvorsen of the Socialist Left has a point when she says anti-Semitism is not a “muslim-problem” but a “Norwegian problem”. Anti-Semitism in Norway goes [...] […]
  • Synagogue-shooter aspires to become poster-boy of Islam
    As a young boy Arfan Q. Bhatti was diagnosed as suffering from an anti-social personality disorder. As a young man he ventured into a life of crime which reached its high mark when he opened fire on the Oslo synagogue in 2006. Mr.Bhatti has previously said that he supports the death penalty against homosexuals and [...] […]
  • Escandinavia, a la cabeza de la Europa del bienestar y del ¿antisemitismo infantil y juvenil? – Norway, Israel and the jews
    Safed-Tzfat, keeping the Spanish-speaking world up to date: La estación nacional noruega de televisión, la NRK, ha entrevistado a unos maestros de la escuela primaria y secundaria de ciudades donde la inmigración es muy fuerte (y mayoritariamente musulmana). Ningún maestro ha hablado con la cara descubierta por temor a las represalias. Todos por lo tanto han […]
  • Klassekampen – the anatomy of deceit
    Klassekampen article claiming NRK's broadacst exaggerates the problem of anti-Semitism in the schools Often you will not read an entire article. Often you will merely glance at the heading and first paragraphs. Journalists know this, and structure their articles so you read the most important parts first. Except for when the journalist does not have [.. […]
  • Aftenposten journalist is Palestine-activist
    Aftenposten: "Beat Palestinian children during interrogations" On March 15th Norway’s second largest newspaper Aftenposten published an editorial on the importance of combatting anti-Semitism. As Document.no points out, Aftenposten can start by examining its own journalists. John J.Mearsheimer og Stephen M.Walt write about the media (in “The Israel […]
  • Aftenposten journalist and Palestine-activist covers Pension fund investments in Israel
    Journalist and Palestine-activist Lars Akerhaug covers Israel for Aftenposten Aftenposten journalist Lars Akerhaug is a committed left-wing politician and Palestine-activist. In spite of this Aftenposten often assigns him to cover Israel. In the article “Builds Norwegian settlements with Norwegian savings” Mr.Akerhaug covers the Norwegian Pension Fund, also […]
  • Norwegian student faces court in Saudi-Arabia
    Mohyeldeen Mohammed achieved some measure of fame when he as a key note speaker at a muslim rally warned of a 9/11 on Norwegian soil if transgressions against muslims did not cease. It was later revealed that Mr.Mohammed also supported that homosexuals be killed. Shortly after giving his speech Mohammed returned to his [...] […]
  • Action Plan focuses on islamophobia, not anti-Semitism
    Anniken Huitfelt in Dagbladet, April 17th 2009 Following NRK journalist Tormod Strand’s program on anti-Semitism in Norwegian schools, the media is all over the issue. But this is not new. Anti-Semitism in the schools was a big issue almost exactly one year ago as well. The news is that even the problem was known, it [...] […]
  • Situation in Norway proves necessity of Jewish state
    Aftenposten op-ed "The Norwegian Jew disappears" Norway is one of those societies which has great difficulties in providing Jews with circumstances in which they can thrive. The author of the op-ed in Aftenposten above raises an interesting question: If Jews cannot live in Norway, does not that prove the necessity of a Jewish state where [...] […]

The anti-Israel lobby in Norway

lobby

Norwegians are often told about the Israel-lobby in the US and its influence on US foreign policy. Of far more interest to us Norwegians however, is the anti-Israel lobby in Norway and its influence on Norwegian foreign policy. The Venn diagram above captures the main components of this lobby; 1) a pro-Palestinian component (Palestinakommiteen) 5) a racist component (Vigrid, Muhammed Ali Chisti, Arfan Bhatti) and 7) an anti-Zionist component (One-state solution proponents such as Nils Butenschøn). The corresponding intersects are 2,3,4 and 6. While it is difficult to allocate contemporary individuals to either of the subsets, Per Imerslund (1912-1943) exemplifies how one can be anti-Semitic and pro-Zionist at the same time, although this precise example is a subject of debate in itself.

The components differ from each other. Their objectives are not the same. For instance LO (Main Norwegian TUC) support for the Palestinian cause and calls for sanctions against Israel are based on the organization’s political outlook, not racism. Contrariwise Neo-Nazis (arguably- for Nazis, racism and politics are inseperable) base their hostility against Israel on racism. Yet the components overlap and intersect. Just as there are pro-Palestinians who are in favor of a jewish state, there are anti-Zionists who are racially motivated and racists who sympathize with Israel’s enemies. The common interest of the groups, organizations and individuals which together constitute the anti-Israel lobby lies in criticism of Israel as a jewish state.

But how do we describe the anti-Israel lobby beyond this?

Stephen Walt and John J. Mearsheimer define and assess the Israel-lobby in the USA in their book: The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy. As this book is on US affairs with which few Norwegians are familiar, it is difficult to assess to what extent the arguments presented are reliable and valid. Norwegians however might find it an interesting experiment to substitute “Norway” for “USA” and “anti-Israel” for “Israel”. In which case we find the following (The Israel Lobby, page 112), with substituted words highlighted in red:

Defining the Lobby

We use “anti-Israel Lobby” as a convenient shorthand term for the loose coalition of individuals and organizations that actively work to shape Norwegian foreign policy in an anti-Israel direction. The lobby is not a single, unified movement with a central leadership, however, and the individuals and groups that make up this broad coalition sometimes disagree on specific policy issues. Nor is it some sort of cabal or conspiracy. On the contrary, the organizations and individuals who make up the lobby operate out in the open and in the same way that other interest groups do.

Now obviously this little exercise is no proof of anything. One cannot merely substitute individual words and then claim it constitutes research. But what this exercise does do is illustrate how the analysis of Walt and Mearsheimer may be applied to Norway, though it will hardly provide the same results.

This site will attempt to apply the analysis of Walt and Mearsheimer to Norwegian foreign policy.