Coinciding with the foreign minister’s Israeli visit a Norwegian opposition leader has called hostility from Israel understandable.
The Christian Democratic Party’s head Hans Olav Syversen says that negative attitudes permeate a variety of Norwegian social institutions when it comes to the Israeli question, which in turn fosters suspicion and distrust.
“Instead of saying there’s no problem, Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store should listen to the concerns of the Israeli side regarding the Norwegian government’s attitude to Israel,” Syversen reasoned.
Speaking with the Israeli news source Haaretz, Syversen listed a range of incidents in past months which have impacted upon relations between the two countries. These include a leading Norwegian university’s deliberations over a possible Israel boycott in November and also Store’s December recommendation of a book that alleges premeditated mass murder by Israeli forces in Gaza.
The Christian Democratic Party is the sixth largest in Norway with Syversen also heading the ‘Friends of Israel’ parliamentary group. The youth division of Syversen’s party has also scheduled a visit to Israel by a team of one dozen politically active youths at the same time as the foreign minister.
A statement by the ministry claimed that Store “wishes to continue his dialogue with Israeli politicians about the Middle East peace process… Various bilateral topics will also be raised [during the visit] in order to further develop our relations”.
In 2008, Ingrid Fiskaa of the Socialist Left Party expressed her wish that Israel be fired upon by the United Nations, while various pension funds have been divested due to links to West Bank construction projects. One Norwegian diplomat has even compared the Gaza conflict to the Holocaust.
The Israeli government does not have too many options. They can draw a border between them and the Palestinian state, and after that leave them alone, or they can give equal rights to all inhabitants of Israel whatever their original nationality, race, or religion.
Failing that people worldwide will continue to oppose them and to boycott their products. What they are doing is just to blatantly unjust for them to be able to sweep it under the carpet.
They should never forget that when the British gave them this land it was just a British colony. In post-colonial 21st century this land would have reverted to being Palestine a long time ago had the British not made this terrible mistake.
@Normal,
You are so naive about this whole issue that you are probably norwegian.
“Giving equal rights to people whatever their original nationality, race, or religion. ”
A great idea, why don’t you go to EVERY country surrounding Israel and tell the dictators there to do exactly this?
Why always apply double standards to Israel?
Just look how Egypt behaves towards Gaza….
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArtVty.jhtml?sw=gaza+egypt&itemNo=1144721
And boycot Israel, LOL, have a look at this one:
I already posted it before but obviously you don’t know about it:
http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/359301/76258e1a/u_wilt_israel_boycotten_.html
btw: jews have lived in Israel since several 1000-’s of years.
To Niels:
What israel thinks about Norway and what Norwegians think about Israel interest me about as much as a fly passing by. Fact is that if you have to put a (Berlin)wall between you and the rest of the world, well then YOU – the builder of the wall have a serious problem.
As Honecker and the rest of the bad guys found out in 1989 – walls come down – eventually.
By the way, have you heard about apartheid? It ended too – maybe not yet in Israel – but at least in the rest of the world
Israels image is now so awfully tarnished that not even my JEWISH American friends consider going there…..
Here in Rio de Janeiro it’s summer and nice and warm and no walls :-)
so glad to live here.
Recommended reading:
http://mondediplo.com/2008/09/07israel
“Israel deliberately forgets its history: Zionist nationalist myth of enforced exile”
by Shlomo Sand
An Israeli historian suggests the “diaspora” was the consequence, not of the expulsion of the Hebrews from Palestine, but of proselytizing across north Africa, southern Europe and the Middle East …
http://www.pslweb.org/site/PageServer?pagename=PalestineBook
Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire
by Richard Becker
Plus a favorite quote on the subject:
“The large majority of those Jews who were murdered during the holocaust were more antagonistic than sympathetic towards the whole Zionist enterprise. The majority of those coming from Central and Western Europe were enlightened modern citizens with humanitarian ideals who would turn in their graves if they knew how their suffering is being exploited for aggressive Zionist purposes.” – Dr. Hajo Meyer, Auschwitz survivor and author of The End of Judaism: An Ethical Tradition Betrayed
>Fact is that if you have to put a (Berlin)wall between you and the rest of the world, well then YOU – the builder of the wall have a serious problem.
I don’t think there’s a single Israeli, Jew or Arab, who would argue with that. Do you have a better idea?
More good reading on this subject …
http://us.macmillan.com/onecountry
One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse
by Ali Abunimah
Ali Abunimah, a Palestinian-American, is the co-creator and editor of the Electronic Intifada web site (http://electronicintifada.net/new.shtml). A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Chicago, he has written for the Chicago Tribune, among other publications.
http://www.righteousjews.org/articles.html
“Toward a True Democratic State in the Middle East”
by Todd May
@Pal,
Honecker built the war to prevent east germans from LEAVING their country.
Israel built a wall to KEEP terrorists OUT.
That is a small difference.
And perhaps you forgot: before the wall was built, 100-s of innocent people were blown up by terrorists.
Like Bromley I would like to ask if you have any better idea.
O about walls: did you see what EGYPT has built on the border with Gaza….they are doing this to their own islamic ‘ brothers’ .
@Pal,
And another one: if yo care so much about stopping apartheid I suggest you to tour the arab world and see how palestinians are treated there.
Perhaps you are not aware of the fact that lots of palestinians live in other arab nations. Even if they have been there for 3 generations they still do not have passports, citizenship or civil rights ! (Jordania being the only exception).
Palestinians who are allowed to live in Israel are citizens of israel, they can vote, they ave access to the first class healthcare and education and they have a representation in parliament.
Please mention any arab country where they have simlar rights.
>Perhaps you are not aware of the fact that lots of palestinians live in other arab nations. Even if they have been there for 3 generations they still do not have passports, citizenship or civil rights ! (Jordania being the only exception).
It’s a shame that we’ve gone too far down the Palastinian state route to turn back now, because the incorporation of Gaza into Egypt and the West Bank into Jordan makes a hell of a lot more sense.
Unfortunately it wasn’t in the Arab states’ interest to actually solve the problem in the last century. Little things like the attempted coup in Jordan no doubt didn’t help.
Zionism: a racist system at the service of imperialism …
http://www.pslweb.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=11167
“The colonial character of the Zionist project”
Plus …
HTTP://WWW.AL-AWDA.ORG/FACTS.HTML
Al-Awda FACTSHEET
The [Palestinian] Right To Return [UN Res 194, adopted on 12/11/48], a Basic Right Still Denied
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9884.shtml
“Israel’s surprising best seller contradicts founding ideology”
Sarie said:
‘Zionism: a racist system at the service of imperialism’
I really don’t have to read further (and I haven’t), because that phrase represents a person, not interested in debate and argument – but stuffing their monopole view down the throats of others.
Don’t worry Terry, it was a good call. I went there and the first things I saw were “Party for Socialism and Liberation”, “Mazda Majidi”, “U.S. corporate media coverage” and “interests of the class they serve”.
So a balanced article :) .
I especially liked the phrase ” Hamas “terrorism.” “.
For those interested in education … ample opportunity is there via the several links I have posted above.
And, it need not be said … read and learn at your will.
Kind regards …
To sarie.
THANK YOU for the links and quotes..
and “no”
i didn’t feel any monopole was stuffed down any throat? weird.
Thanks again