Wiesenthal Center slams Norway's Israel boycott
Center describes Norwegian Provincial Government of Sor-Trondelag resolution to boycott Israeli products as “an act of anti-Semitism in the spirit of Hitler's 'Don’t buy from Jews' campaign of the 1930's; center’s director for international relations: ‘Boycott an embarrassment to Norwegian foreign policy’
In a letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, described the Norwegian Provincial Government of Sor-Trondelag resolution to boycott Israeli products as “an act of anti-Semitism in the spirit of Hitler's 'Don't buy from Jews' campaign of the 1930's.”
The letter said the boycott constitutes a “continuation of Norway's collaborationist history under its own Nazi leader, Vidkun Quisling, and is in violation of the freedom of commerce provisions of the European Union and the World Trade Organization.”
'Expunge the racists'
Samuels went on to say that the boycott is “an embarrassment to the Norwegian foreign policy, as it places Oslo in the camp of the rejectionists of the Middle East peace process and of the forces of terrorism.”
Samuels demanded that Norway "go beyond its current 'denial of responsibility for the acts of a local council.’”
The Wiesenthal Center urged the Norwegian Prime Minister "not only to condemn this outrage, but to expunge the racists in the ranks of his own government by expelling them and their sympathizers.”
Samuels concluded by calling on "our friends in the Norwegian church, trade unions, media and fair-minded public to stand in solidarity with our protest", adding that "to do otherwise would constitute a warm welcome to Quisling.”
