Opinion
Something rotten in Norway
Manfred Gerstenfeld
Published: 27.03.11, 13:23
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61. Right on, Andy!
Joanna ,   Boston   (03.28.11)
62. Drunkards
Zichron   (03.28.11)
The norweigans are drunkards but their real crime as so called global humanitarians is not offering one tenth of norway as an international refugee state. . a huge land mass they capitulated to nazism very quickly .
63. The author
bill ,   UK   (03.28.11)
hmm Media Watch is indeed an international independent organization.... Honest Reporter is an Israeli organization (state funded) with the sole aim of attacking critics of Israel. This author has implied they are one in the same,..Totally dishonest as everything else is about this charlatan
64. To: No. 16
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (03.28.11)
Well, Norway has shot itself in the foot. Professor Dershowitz is a brilliant lecturer and is more than qualified to address the subject of Israel and international law. Norway. The country that gave the world Vidkun Quisling. Go to hell.
65. To: No. 9
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (03.28.11)
Imagine how we feel about having to listen to the ersatz "Palestinian" bitching and moaning all the time. Soooo boring. Get a life, already.
66. To: No. 41
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (03.28.11)
And when your nasty Islamic minority kicks your ass, I'll be laughing. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of hypocrites. Let's face it -- without the North Sea oil (which is going to run out in about ten years or less) Norway is nothing. The poorest country in Europe. From whence you came, you shall return. I can't wait.
67. 8. lol from dubai? 1000 + in a week? Really? Ur absurd.
Enough   (03.28.11)
We will NO longer sit quietly while you and your Islamist friends lie. We have the right to live life. We are NOT ashamed to be Jews. Whether we are secular, semi-secular, observant, orthodox, we stand together with any and all other decent HUMAN BEINGS who care about right and wrong. We are proud. We will continue to be successful and do our best to bring good to the world. We will NEVER die quietly again. We are not afraid. Am Israel Chai.
68. 9. We are NO longer afraid to speak up for ourselves.
Enough   (03.28.11)
We are proud of the good that we have brought to the world. We will not stop doing our best to bring good. It is NOT arrogance to be proud and live as Jews. We are PROUD Zionists. We do NOT hate Arabs. We do not hate Muslims. We only hate those trying to kill/destroy us and ours. Can you Islamists say the same about Jews/Israelis? I think not. Am Israel Chai.
69. 10 criticism is not unfair bias/hatred
Enough   (03.28.11)
Not to mention their efforts to murder and destroy us. Ur comments are shameful and ridiculas. If you ARE a professor...u should be relieved of your duties.
70. 11. We will not longer b silent n the face of unfair attacks
Enough   (03.28.11)
71. 12. Because u have never suffered from a housefire
Enough   (03.28.11)
does that mean that many have not occured in Norway too? There exists an UNFAIR bias against Jews/Israelis in Norway...perhaps you cannot see it due to your upbringing. We will no longer be silent in the face of Islamist and their accomplises efforts to destroy us.
72. 13. Well said.
Enough   (03.28.11)
73. 16. Another example of Norwegian hatred...
Enough   (03.28.11)
Dershowitz, is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator who has spent most of his career at Harvard Law School where in 1967, at the age of 28, became the youngest full professor of law in its history. He is also the author of many books...and you, just like the Norway discribed in the article have lied about a Jew.
74. Norways problem is..
Y ,   N   (03.28.11)
..that its leftleaning journalists, politicians and "middle-east experts" etc. etc are totally dominating when it comes to covering the middle east and Israel. Israel got a lot of friends in Norway, they just cant get their voices heard.
75. Many Swedish really do hate Irael/jews
telavivit ,   Israel   (03.28.11)
in fact I am in Stockholm right now and many refer to Israel as Palestine........
76. Norwegians, antisemitic?
Avi ,   NYC, US   (03.28.11)
My family was saved by Norwegians during the holocaust as were the majority of Norwegians Jews. How dare you cast accusations like this against this wonderful nation? It is true that there were Norwegians nazis and collaborators. but guess what: Their percentage among the courageous Norwegian people was much less than the percentage of the Jews who collaborated with he Nazis.
77. Correction - 2 days in jail, but Gesher is ridiculous name
michal ,   tel aviv   (03.28.11)
A Norwegian woman has been sent to prison for two days for refusing to pay a fine imposed for giving her son an unapproved name. Kirsti Larsen, who has fourteen children, said she was instructed in a dream to call her 13th child, Gesher - the Hebrew for bridge. She was fined around 1,530 Kroner ($200) after losing a series of court appeals when the local authority refused to register the name. Norway bans names it considers ridiculous or inappropriate. From the newsroom of the BBC World Service
78. When was the last time u visited?
Thomas ,   Bergen Norway   (03.28.11)
If u are a hoax - then ok. If however, you are serious - then please please come back here and see what has happened to our country. To say that the holocaust is "taught extensively in Norwegian school" is plainly false. Read the petition from NTNU and you will see that they are arguing the occupation since 1948! As I have argued countless times - Norway has sent BILLIONS of NOK to the PA. Where is the money? What has been done with it? Show us ONE park bench, barnehage etc that was built with OUR tax money! Your claim that " Israel has built a succesful country, at the expense of another people" is faulty at it's core. Israel has tried since 1967 to give up the lands that it conquered from Jordan. Why have they not accepted? WHY?
79. Facts
Siv ,   Oslo   (03.28.11)
Sir, I am sorry to inform to you that you have your facts nixed up! It was the Danish people who helped save the Jews in their country. Norway was the only country who's *official* police force rounded up the Jews and sent them to Auschwitz. The history of the holocaust in Norway is often overlooked due to the 'small' number of Jews - relative to the other European countries. The fact is that in comparison to everywhere else, it was Norway who sent her Jews to be gassed. This is all documented in the Holocaust Museum in Oslo. Worth a visit! Shalom!
80. to ( 33 ) & (44)
tiki ,   belgium   (03.28.11)
(33) HY in Norway..I loved your great and funny comment and (44).............. To get 'recognition and honour' from Norvegian anti semites.... THAT's another achievement in the long list of Israeli achievements.
81. # 8 Classic
Thomas ,   US   (03.28.11)
In 2005, the Indian Consulate realeased a report that 971 foreign workers had died in Dubai that year due to heat exhaustion, suicide, and being overworked. After the release of the report, the Indian Consulate was told by the government of Dubai to cease keeping count. (see Johann Hari's article, "The Dark Side of Dubai" ) I guess the brutal enslavement of people doesn't bother your conscience if it means a better life for yourself. So much for Truth, Justice, and the Norwegian Way.
82. Its funny, right now in Bahrain a hundrets of people
Joav ,   Germany   (03.28.11)
were shooted with machine guns and no one caried about. No Normay, no Sweden or another "democrati" states but if Israel eliminate just one terrorist, than that is the reason for them to attack a jewish state. Kahane was right, only the strong Israel is the best response to all antesimits, they now it and thats why they try to destroy it.
83. #79 Some people do not learn history, or fake it
Joav ,   Germany   (03.28.11)
Absolutly TRUE, the Danish governement and the Danish people have saved a lot of Jews and we dont forget it at all, as we do not forget that some neighbors of Danmark, like Norway sent their Jews with oneway ticket to Auswitz and elsewhere where wasnt escape for them. Sure there there were some norvegians who saved Jews, but hey there were some dozens of germans who did it also but the majority have sent jews in the Death Camps!
84. #44: Nobel prizes awarded
Nick ,   Sweden   (03.28.11)
to Jewish People.? Yes, that's Nobel prizes in SCIENCE which are awarded in Sweden as opposed to the PEACE prize awarded by Norway: A pathetic political sharade rewarding individual like Obama for doing NOTHING. He was so pleased with the prize that continues to do NOTHING. Very few Jews on that list of awardees. Switch on your brain before you grab your pen.
85. Now you know why Peres is very close
Moshe ,   Israel   (03.28.11)
with Oslo and Arafat. I believe Peres' closest friends and his Peace institute are founded by Oslo. It is a shame that Peres is prez.
86. Norway is a very small stinken country
Moshe ,   Netanya   (03.28.11)
loved by Arafat and Peres.
87. Israel
Charlemagne ,   Copenhagen   (03.28.11)
Are Israelis not able to take a debate without calling anyone that is not in line with Israeli politics antisemitic etc. This more than anything hurts Israels cause. Israel claims to be a democracy ... but to me it seems it is ademocracy as long as you agree with them. Norway does indeed have anti semitic groups. Also anti islam, anti sami, anti god knows what. But the Norwegian gov't policy is that Israel has the right to exist. However, we also believe in the rights of the Palestinian people. One does not cancel the other.
88. On how to define anti-semitism
Harmen ,   Leiden, Netherlands   (03.28.11)
Dear all, For quite a while I have been following developments in Israel and the WestBank, from different perspectives. There are many different viewpoints around. One of them concerns the issue of anti-semitism. I often see strong condemnations of criticism towards Israel, or Israel's policies and presence in the Westbank/ Judea and Samaria. Such condemnation is often expressed in the accusation that people are anti-semitic; that they hate Jews. I often have trouble with such accusations. I am myself critical sometimes of Israeli policies and actions, yet I would never deny Israel the right of existence, nor deny any Jewish person the right ot peacefully exercise his or her religion and/ or customs. I would be interested to hear your comments and insights on this matter. The discussion of criticism versus anti-semitism is a complex one, and often one that seems - in my opinion - to make the discussion less clear, and more troubled. Yours, Harmen, Netherlands
89. #87 "Thank you" for right to "exist". lol
Joav ,   Germany   (03.28.11)
Maybe you dont not know, but it is also Israels gov. policy that the norway has also right to exist!
90. Harmen #88
R ,   Israel   (03.28.11)
In answer to your question, often the condemnation/criticism toward Israel is done in a vacuum. For example, Israel is condemned for a response without any mention of the events leading to the incident. In addition, a double-standard is applied to Israel as opposed to all other nations. For example, Israel is condemned for taking out terrorists who fire rockets on civilian populations from across the border in Gaza, while the U.S. and European nations are not condemned for attacking Ghadafi, who poses no threat to them, has not attacked them, has no common borders with them and is thousands of miles away from them. Another example: Where is the world outcry against thousands of Africans murdered on a regular basis? There is none. Why does the UN tolerate Iran on the committee for women's rights while it charges Israel with apartheid? Israel, in which Arabs serve as knesset members and travel to enemy countries! When the double standard is dropped, when those who support Israel are allowed to present their viewpoint as in European universities just like the anti-Israel speakers are allowed to, then maybe the charge of antisemitism will be no longer valid.
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