Norway has banned Kosher animal slaughter since before the Nazis
The Norwegian government may be sorry today that they
messed with Caroline Glick. And although she explicitly did not ask for one, they might consider an apology. Glick gives us a contemporary history lesson about
Norwegian anti-Semitism.
In a 2006 report on Jew hatred in contemporary Norwegian caricatures published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Erez Uriely noted among other things that Norway banned kosher ritual slaughter in 1929 – three years before a similar ban was instituted in Nazi Germany.
And whereas the ban on kosher ritual slaughter was lifted in post-war Germany, it was never abrogated in Norway.
As Uriely noted, Norway’s prohibition on Jewish ritual slaughter makes Judaism the only religion that cannot be freely practiced in Norway.
Fascism was deeply popular in Norway in the 1930s.
In the wake of the Nazi invasion, Norwegian governmental leaders founded and joined the Norwegian Nazi Party. Apparently, sympathy for Nazi collaborators is strong today in Norway.
As the JCPA’s Manfred Gerstenfeld noted in a report on the rise in Norwegian anti-Semitic attacks during 2009, two years ago the Norwegian government allocated more than $20 million in public funds to commemorate Norwegian novelist Knut Hamsun [pictured. CiJ] on the occasion of the Nobel laureate for literature’s 150th birthday. As The New York Times reported, in February 2009, Norway’s Queen Sonja opened the, “year-long, publicly financed commemoration of Hamsun’s 150th birthday called ‘Hamsun 2009.’” But while Hamsun may have been a good writer, he is better remembered for being an enthusiastic Nazi. Hamsun gave his Nobel prize to Nazi propaganda chief Josef Goebbels. During a wartime visit to Germany, Hamsun flew to meet Adolf Hitler at Hitler’s mountain home in Bavaria.
And in 2009, Norway built a $20 million museum to honor his achievements.
...
Israel’s dovish Kadima government only began the operation in Gaza because it had no choice. For months then prime minister Ehud Olmert sat on his hands as southern Israel was pummeled with unprovoked barrages of thousands of missiles and rockets from Gaza. Olmert was forced to take action after Hamas massively escalated its rocket and missile attacks in November and early December 2008.
While silent about Palestinian aggression, Norway’s government attacked Israel for defending itself. As Store put it, “The Israeli ground offensive in Gaza constitutes a dramatic escalation of the conflict. Norway strongly condemns any form of warfare that causes severe civilian suffering, and calls on Israel to withdraw its forces immediately.”
Two of Store’s associates, Eric Fosse and Mads Gilbert, decamped to Gaza during Cast Lead and set up shop in Shifa Hospital. The two were fixtures in the Norwegian media, which constantly interviewed them throughout the conflict, and so spread their libelous charges against the IDF without question.
Fosse and Gilbert never mentioned that Hamas’s high command was located at the hospital in open breach of the laws of war.
When they returned home, they co-authored a book in which they accused the IDF of entering Gaza with the express goal of murdering women and children.
Store wrote a blurb of endorsement on the book’s back cover.
...
It is a fact that the day before Breivik’s massacre of teenagers at the Labor Party’s youth camp on Utoya Island, Store spoke to them about the need to destroy Israel’s security fence. The campers role-played pro- Hamas activists breaking international law by challenging Israel’s lawful maritime blockade of the Gaza coastline.
They held signs calling for a boycott of Israel.
Read the whole thing.
Norwegians believe that terrorism is sometimes okay, especially when its targets are Israelis and it is perpetrated by 'Palestinians.' Anders Behring Breivik got that message. But he also decided that terrorism was okay at a time when it was wrong, even according to Norwegians. Instead of soul-searching, Norwegians are accusing. That is wrong.
UPDATE WEDNESDAY 12:09 AM
I just received the email below from reader
Eliana:
Carl, the photo you're showing of Knut Hamsun is Max von Sydow who stared in a movie about the man.
The movie's name was "Hamsun" and it was produced in 1996.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamsun_%28film%29
Okay, I'll leave this picture here for now and grab another one if I need it.
Labels: Anders Behring Brievik, Caroline Glick, Eric Fosse, Jonas Gahr Store, Knut Hamsun, Mads Gilbert, Norwegian anti-Semitism, Utoya massacre
Barry Rubin responds to Norway
In Sunday's JPost,
Barry Rubin responds to the attacks on him by Norway's
Foreign Minister and
Deputy Foreign Minister.
The Norwegian government and media establishment is not ready to have an honest discussion of these issues. Instead, my article was misrepresented in order to stir up a frenzy that closed ears and shut eyes to what I was saying. Indeed, the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet falsely claimed that I had endorsed the terrorist attack there. Not a single Norwegian reporter or editor made any attempt to contact me since the beginning of this issue to hear my side or to ask my views.
How’s that for constructive dialogue and healing? The blog Israel Matzav sums up my position very well: “Rubin said that this terror attack, committed by a ‘normal Norwegian boy’ [not my words] ought to make Norwegians do some introspection about their government’s support for terror organizations like Hamas. Is Norway giving its youth the wrong message through its support for Hamas? Why is Norway not even willing to ask itself that question?” And the Norwegian reaction is to reiterate – as its ambassador to Israel portrayed his country’s view – that there is a rational reason to murder Israeli children (“occupation,” despite the fact that Israel has withdrawn from all of the Gaza Strip and much of the West Bank, and indicated its readiness to accept a Palestinian state 11 years ago), but not to murder Norwegian children. In other words, one can only discuss the evil Norwegian terrorist in the parameters laid down by the Norwegian Left. One can talk endlessly about how his specific ideology – right-wing, allegedly Christian, and Islamophobic – but not the way he fits into a much wider pattern of rising terrorism in general.
Read the whole thing.
UPDATE 1:59 AMA fuller, unedited version of this article appears
here.
Labels: Anders Behring Brievik, Barry Rubin, Espen Barth Eide, Jonas Gahr Store, Oslo bombing, Oslo syndrome, Utoya massacre
They don't sympathize with terrorists, do they?
Jonas Gahr Store (right) is currently Norway's Foreign Minister. I trust you all recognize Ismail Haniyeh at left.
'Nuff said (Hat Tip:
Soccer Dad via
News that Matters).
Labels: Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, Jonas Gahr Store, Norwegian anti-Semitism
Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister appeals for 'healing'... by attacking Rubin and Glick
In a comment in Friday's JPost, Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, has appealed for 'healing' in the aftermath of Norway's terror attacks two weeks ago. But he has done so with a
vicious attack on Barry Rubin (mostly) and Caroline Glick.
Many Norwegians, however, have been astonished by assertions recently made in The Jerusalem Post by two of its regular columnists, Barry Rubin and Caroline Glick.
For example, Barry Rubin wrote on Monday that “...the youth camp he attacked was engaged in what was essentially... a pro-terrorist program.”
According to Rubin, the camp was “justifying forces that had committed terrorism against Israel” by advocating an end to the blockade of Gaza and recognition of a Palestinian state.
Barry sounds exactly right to me. Of course, Barth Eide omits the fact that Fatah terrorists have participated in the Utoya camp for the last fifteen years. But leaving that aside, how else does one characterize the advocacy at Utoya camp of
employing BDS against Israel in a bid to 'convince' it to remove its lawful blockade of an area from which thousands of rockets have been fired at it over the last ten years? Is that not supporting free access (and free access to weapons) for terrorists?
Rubin even implicitly blamed Norway’s Middle East policy for the attacks in Norway. He wrote, “If terrorist murders by Hamas and Islamists did not stop well-intentioned future leaders of Norway from considering them heroic underdogs, an evil local man could think his act of terrorism would gain sympathy and change Europe’s politics.”
This was, Rubin claimed, an example of the “Oslo Syndrome” whereby rewarding terrorists with political gains promotes more terrorism.
In other words, Rubin said that this terror attack, committed by a '
normal Norwegian boy' ought to make Norwegians do some introspection about their government's support for terror organizations like Hamas. Is Norway giving its youth the wrong message through its support for Hamas? Why is Norway not even willing to ask itself that question?
Rubin and Glick have also made much of the supposed statements by Norwegian Ambassador Svein Sevje to Ma’ariv, according to which he distinguished between the motivation behind terrorism in Israel and in Norway. Glick and Rubin are not alone in doing so. Several other Israeli media have latched on to this as well.
On this point, of course, it was not Glick or Rubin who was at fault. The ambassador was incorrectly quoted by Ma’ariv. He did not compare the motivation behind different terrorist attacks; he simply tried to answer a question about whether the terrorist attacks in Norway would change perceptions of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He stated that many Norwegians see the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territory in the context of the occupation and religious extremism, and that this view would probably not change after the events in Oslo and on Utoeya.
Funny that he hasn't quoted Glick yet. But let's look at what the Norwegian ambassador to Israel
actually said:
Svein Sevje said in an Israeli newspaper interview Tuesday that while the Norwergian bomb and gun rampages that killed 76 people and Palestinian attacks should both be considered morally unacceptable, he wanted to "outline the similarity and the difference in the two cases."
Palestinians, the ambassador told Maariv, "are doing this because of a defined goal that is related to the Israeli occupation. There are elements of revenge against Israel and hatred of Israel. To this you can add the religious element to their actions."
"In the case of the terror attack in Norway, the murderer had an ideology that says that Norway, particularly the Labor Party, is forgoing Norwegian culture," Sevje said, referring to suspect Anders Breivik, a Christian nativist who is opently anti-Islam and anti-immigration.
Whether the Maariv reporter (and I hope the reporter will come forward with a recording of the interview) misquoted Norwegian ambassador to Israel Svein Sevje, remains to be seen. But if the ambassador was misquoted, isn't it odd that it has taken from Tuesday, July 26 (the date of the interview) to Friday August 5 for someone to claim that he was misquoted? If he was misquoted, why was this allowed to stew for ten days? Maybe because it took the Norwegian Foreign Ministry ten days to think of that excuse?
But Barth Eide's gloss shows that he completely does not get what offended Israelis about Sevje's statements. Let's look at Barth Eide's explanation again.
He did not compare the motivation behind different terrorist attacks; he simply tried to answer a question about whether the terrorist attacks in Norway would change perceptions of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He stated that many Norwegians see the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territory in the context of the occupation and religious extremism, and that this view would probably not change after the events in Oslo and on Utoeya.
In other words, what Sevje really meant is that Norwegians will continue to sympathize with 'Palestinian' terrorism despite the fact that they have now experienced terrorism themselves up close and personal. Are we Israelis supposed to take solace in the fact that this is what Sevje really meant and not that Breivik's motivation differed from Hamas' motivation? Really?
What Barth Eide ought to do is to say that Norway will conduct some self-examination and consider how its own actions might have contributed to the perception of a 'normal Norwegian boy' that terrorism was an okay way to deal with those with whom one disagrees. That introspection ought to start with an examination of Norway's policies of support for Hamas and the 'Palestinian Authority.'
But of course, none of that will happen. Norwegians are holier than we are and they never make mistakes. Just ask any representative of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.
Read the whole thing.
Labels: Anders Behring Brievik, Barry Rubin, Caroline Glick, Espen Barth Eide, Jonas Gahr Store, Svein Sevje
Norwegian Foreign Minister attacks Barry Rubin
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store has attacked Professor Barry Rubin for allegedly labeling as 'pro-terrorist' the Utoya youth camp, at which 76 young people were murdered by a
normal Norwegian boy. I'll come to Barry's response in a minute, but first let's look at what Store said (via
Daily Kos, which takes the opportunity to pile on and bash Barry).
For a somewhat more nuanced explanation, here's Norway's Minister of Foreign Affaris Jonas Gahr Støre (Labour). (The article is in Norwegian, here's a Google translation.)
Rubin's claims are outrageous, and I'm not going to comment on them in any length. I will just say that the Labour Party and the AUF do not support terrorism in any way. They are not extremists.
You all know better than that. The Labour Party and the AUF do not support terrorism in any way...
unless it's 'Palestinian' terrorism directed at Israeli Jews.
Svein Sevje said in an Israeli newspaper interview Tuesday that while the Norwergian bomb and gun rampages that killed 76 people and Palestinian attacks should both be considered morally unacceptable, he wanted to "outline the similarity and the difference in the two cases."
Palestinians, the ambassador told Maariv, "are doing this because of a defined goal that is related to the Israeli occupation. There are elements of revenge against Israel and hatred of Israel. To this you can add the religious element to their actions."
"In the case of the terror attack in Norway, the murderer had an ideology that says that Norway, particularly the Labor Party, is forgoing Norwegian culture," Sevje said, referring to suspect Anders Breivik, a Christian nativist who is opently anti-Islam and anti-immigration.
If that's not supporting terrorism, I don't know what is.
And
Barry's response?
1. Am I justifying the murders and saying they were well-deserved? Of course not.
I don't in any way believe such a thing. These were as I've said from the beginning terrible acts of terrorism. In the article you will see my explicit argument that nobody should be a victim of terrorism even if they support politically a group committing terrorism. Since my argument is that NO terrorism--defined as the deliberate murder of civilians as part of a conscious political strategy--is acceptable, why would I justify the cold-blooded murder of dozens of unarmed, non-violent people in Norway?
To justify it I would have to be saying that I supported the murder of young people because I disagree with their political views or those of their elders. That would be insane though, of course, that is precisely what actual terrorists do. And many "respectable" people wrote in various ways that the September 11 attacks on America were "well-deserved." That was precisely the kind of thing I had in mind as something dangerous and to be condemned when writing the article.
2. In short, since the entire purpose of the article is to urge a universal condemnation of terrorism and to ensure that it doesn't bear political profit, I had no intention of endorsing terrorism in this case! The point of the article can be simply stated as follows: It is a dangerous thing to empower or reward terrorism anywhere because that makes terrorism seem a successful strategy and thus encourages more terrorism. If you argue politically that terrorists are justified in the Middle East or, to put it a different way, that they aren't terrorists at all, you are making terrorism more likely to happen. It is tragic--not justifiable or deserved but horrible--that such people or such a country then becomes the target of terrorism.
...
4. If Hamas uses a strategy of terrorism and then gains Western sympathy and help, then Hamas and other groups will conclude that terrorism works. Thus, more terrorism will take place and more innocent victims murdered. It is not true to say that I claimed any group in Norway applauded terrorism against Israelis. They either did not define it as terrorism, did not take it into account as a factor to be considered, or supported groups despite the fact that they used massive terrorism. Indeed, Norway's ambassador himself said that people in his country viewed terrorism as only a response to occupation while the main newspaper attacking me repeatedly denied--and denies--that Hamas is a terrorist group.
5. I never said and don't believe that the camp in Norway was a terrorist training camp. A terrorist training camp is a place where people are trained to use guns, explosives, and various methods to stage military attacks and then escape afterward. What went on in the camp in Norway was purely conversational, theoretical, and political. That's obvious.
...
9. My goal is to reduce the frequency and effectiveness of terrorism and to reduce the number of victims. This article was written in that spirit--to save lives in future. It is based on 35 years of work on this issue and following it on a daily basis. When those who attack me--overwhelmingly one faction within Norway--insist that Hamas is not a terrorist group and thus distinguish between "justified" terrorism and "non-justified" terrorism they are doing what I'm being accused of doing. By the way, that is precisely the same way that Norway's ambassador to Israel characterized the view of people in that country (as I quote in my article).
Read the whole thing.
Labels: Anders Behring Brievik, Barry Rubin, Jonas Gahr Store, Oslo bombing, Oslo syndrome, Utoya massacre
During appearance by Norwegian Foreign Minister, Norwegian youth camp urged boycott of Israel
During an appearance by Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store at a Norwegian youth camp on Thursday, the Foreign Minister was urged to support the
anti-Israel BDS (boycott, divest, sanction) movement.
A terrorist attacked the same camp on Friday, murdering more than 80 camp participants, and set off a bomb at a government office building in Oslo, murdering seven other people.
Here's a Google translation from Norwegian:
Jonas Gahr Store: - The occupation must end, the wall must be demolished and it must happen now
[Photo caption]
AUF WANT BOYCOTT: Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store was met by demands that Norway must recognize a Palestinian state when he visited the Labour Youth League summer camp at Utøya Thursday. Here the Minister ushered around in the camp of the AUF leader Eskil Pedersen. (Reuters)
[Text]
During the second day of Labour Youth League summer camp at Utøya got the Labour Party's young hopefuls visit by Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
Together with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation correspondent Sidsel Wold and Norwegian People's Aid Kirsten Belck-Olsen, discussed the Foreign Minister of the deadlock between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
As foreign minister arrived Utøya he was met with a demand from the AUF that Norway must recognize a Palestinian state.
- The Palestinians must have their own state, the occupation must end, the wall must be demolished and it must happen now, said the Foreign Minister to cheers from the audience.
There are already people out there trying to
blame this on Israel and on supporters of Norway's
Progress party. Neither had anything to do with this.
After the Sabbath ended, Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a statement expressing Israel's identification with the '
deep pain and grief' of the Norwegian people.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that Israel "expresses its shock at the revolting terror attacks in Oslo, which have taken the lives of innocent victims. Nothing at all can justify such wanton violence, and we condemn this brutal action with the utmost gravity."
The statement said that Israel would offer Norway any assistance it may require, an offer repeated in a phone conversation Defense Minister Ehud Barak had with his counterparts in Norway. The Norwegians, according to a statement issued by Barak's office, thanked Israel for the offer, but said that at this time they did not need any assistance.
Israel offered forensic assistance, help in evacuating the wounded, and medical support.
Goyim (non-Jews) murder goyim and the Jews get blamed. The more things change, the more they stay the same....
Labels: Jonas Gahr Store, Norway, Oslo bombing, Utoya massacre
Norwegians claim they condemn anti-Semitism
Last week, I reported on Alan Dershowitz's visit to Norway and how he was
not allowed to speak out in favor of Israel. The Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Store seems a bit
offended.
Since he briefly refers to me, I want to refute his claims in no uncertain terms. There is great interest in the Middle East in Norway, particularly in the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. In a democracy like ours, there must be room for all views and assessments to be expressed as part of a vibrant debate, which may well be quite heated. I feel that this is the case in the ongoing debate on the Middle East, where what he refers to as pro-Israel views are also regularly expressed.
I did not meet Mr Dershowitz during his visit to Norway, and he did not contact me. It is, however, my impression that the various statements he made during his stay were thoroughly reported in the media. His frustration is directed against what he perceives as denied access to the rostrums of Norwegian universities. It is difficult for me to comment on this matter. But I fully agree with him that academic institutions should be very open to a broad range of views and knowledge. At the same time, such autonomous institutions are responsible for deciding for themselves which speakers they wish to invite.
The conflicts in the Middle East spark great interest and strong feelings, also in Norway. I am strongly opposed to any form of boycott, whether implicit or real, of viewpoints in the public debate. I note that Mr Dershowitz and I disagree about many things, judging by what I have read by him. We do, however, fully share our clear opposition to all forms of anti-Semitism, which we condemn in all its manifestations.
Bottom line: Dershowitz's charges against the universities stand.
Labels: Alan Dershowitz, Jonas Gahr Store, Norway
Norwegian Foreign Minister slams Lieberman on NGO's
During a visit to Israel, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Storr slammed Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman for saying that NGO's are
aiding terror organizations.
In the harshest comments to date from a European statesman regarding the establishment of a parliamentary committee to investigate funding of the NGOs, Store said, “When leading politicians go out and compare and link NGOs to terror, I think it is very dangerous. These messages have enormous impact and create suspicion, mutual suspicion and a climate that democracy should not have. I think it is a worrying sign.”
Lieberman on Sunday charged leftist NGOs with “aiding terror groups.”
Store, on a two-day visit, told the Post he was “very concerned” about the recent Knesset action on the NGOs.
“Israel is the democracy in this region,” he said. “A vibrant civil society, with organizations that say things which we don’t like as governments, is part of democracy, it is a test of a strong democracy.”
Lieberman did not say that the NGO's were connected to terror organizations. He said that they were aiding terror groups (assuming that the comments have been reported accurately). Given that it has already been proven that the NGO's supplied the bulk of the material used in the Goldstone Report, and that report has had a chilling effect on Israel's ability to fight terror and has subjected Israel to international condemnation for fighting terror. How is that not 'aiding terror groups'?
Moreover, no one has said that the NGO's do not have the right to say whatever they please. What has been said is that Israelis have the right to know who is financing the NGO's, because that allows us to place their statements in context, and perhaps to give less credibility to those who are being financed to make particular statements. For example, by Norway:
Norway is a significant donor to some 18 NGOs operating in Israel and the Palestinian Authority – such as the Palestinian Central Bureau for Statistics, the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen’s Rights, and the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee – and the issue came up during a meeting Lieberman and Store held in Jerusalem on Tuesday evening.
And I'm sure that has a lot to do with why Norway is concerned about this.
One other thing:
Spanish Ambassador Alvar Iranzo, whose country is another major contributor to the NGOs, told the Post that while he understood that on one hand this was naturally a domestic issue subject to internal legislation, the policy of the EU and most member states was to subsidize civil society in Israel, the PA and other countries, promoting the values of peace in the region.
Iranzo said that the EU would “not be too happy” if Israel made “things more difficult.”
Where else in this region do the Europeans subsidize NGO's other than Israel and the 'Palestinian Authority,' both of whose NGO's are aimed at Israel? Perhaps if we had a transparent answer to that question, the Europeans wouldn't appear as biased against us as they do today.
But don't hold your breath waiting for an answer.
Read the whole thing.
Labels: Avigdor Lieberman, human rights NGO's, Jonas Gahr Store
Norway refuses to recognize imaginary state
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who arrives in Israel on Tuesday, told the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation's web site on Sunday that Norway would not recognize the imaginary state of '
Palestine.'
Over the last few weeks, officials in Jerusalem have broadly dismissed the idea that European countries would follow the South American lead and recognize a Palestinian state. That being said, Norway is often mentioned as the most likely candidate to grant that recognition, if any country in Europe would make such a move, partly because it is not a member of the EU.
But Støre said it was impossible for the Palestinians simply to declare that “now we are a state” without negotiating core issues such as Jerusalem, refugees and water.
Støre said that while not having any “magic wand,” Norway had an important role to play in the region because it “knows the parties well.”
Acknowledging past Israeli criticism of Norway’s role in the region, he said that it was possible to understand the criticism when placed in context, and that he was aware that Israel was exposed from a security point of view, “with Iran, an unstable Lebanon and Hamas.”
In addition, he said, Israeli society was going through “great change,” with a million immigrants from eastern Europe, something he said had led to changes in the country’s politics and political climate.
Last month, Israel protested Norway’s upgrade of the Palestinian presence in there from representation to delegate status, with the Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Director-General for Western Europe Naor Gilon calling in the Norwegian charge d’affaires to protest. Gilon said that in light of the Palestinian refusal to negotiate, this upgrade “does not contribute to promoting or advancing the peace process.”
Gilon also said at the time that the Norwegian move raised questions about whether Norway “has the balance required” of a country that chairs the Ad Hoc Liaison Group, or donor group to the Palestinians.
Let's see how long this lasts.
What could go wrong?
Labels: Jonas Gahr Store, Norway, unilateral declaration of statehood
The Norwegian government may be sorry today that they messed with Caroline Glick. And although she explicitly did not ask for one, they might consider an apology. Glick gives us a contemporary history lesson about Norwegian anti-Semitism. 
