Posted on 12/15/2008 5:31:53 AM PST by SJackson
'I would like to take the opportunity to remember all the billions of fleas and lice that lost their lives in German gas chambers, without having done anything wrong other than settling on persons of Jewish background."
This is what Norwegian comedian Otto Jespersen said on Thursday 27 November on the country's largest commercial TV station. Much worse, however, is that the director of the station defended this expression of "satire."
A week later Jespersen, in his weekly TV appearance, gave a "satiric" monologue of mixed anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli remarks. He concluded by wishing the Jews a happy Christmas. But then as an afterthought, he said this was not proper as the Jews had murdered Jesus. Two years ago the same comedian burned pages from the Tanach in front of a TV camera, but this was no reason to terminate his employment. Jespersen explained that he wouldn't burn the Koran if he wanted to live longer than a week.
LAST WEEK, on four consecutive days, there were anti-Israeli articles in Norway's second-largest daily Aftenposten. The first called for a general boycott of Israel. The second promoted an academic boycott, falsely accusing Israeli physicians of participating in torture and the Israeli Medical Association of remaining silent about it. Any honest debater would have reported that Israeli hospitals routinely treat Palestinian children, some of whom express joy when suicide bombers kill Israelis. One wonders whether any other country would allow this.
The third article stressed the right to criticize Israel. This is a typical attack on a "straw man," as nobody denies this right. The fourth claimed that Israel is not a democracy. Only thereafter a pro-Israeli voice was heard.
Two years ago the conservative Aftenposten got international attention when it published an op-ed by Jostein Gaarder which until this day remains the vilest anti-Semitic article published in a European mainstream paper since the Second World War.
Whoever wants to understand how Jews might live in a future democratic Europe if no major counter-forces are mobilized should study Norway. Among parts of the elite there, Jew-hatred and rabid anti-Israelism intermingle. The country's population numbers only 4.6 million. The Jewish population, even before the war, was never more than 2,000. It now numbers 1,300, of which only 700 affiliate with the organized community. Yet Norway must figure prominently in any future history of post-war European anti-Semitism.
Norwegian anti-Israelis keep repeating that their anti-Israelism is not anti-Semitism. One only has to check their statements against the European Union's working definition of anti-Semitism to see that this is often untrue. Norway has a long history of anti-Semitism. In 1929 a great majority of its parliament voted to forbid shechita (Jewish ritual slaughter) - several years before Hitler's Germany did so. It is still forbidden, although hunters, including government ministers, can legally kill animals in as cruel a manner as they want. Last year Norway aimed to kill 1,000 whales, but succeeded in finding only 500. If all needs for kosher beef were met by local shechita,it would require at most several tens of cows annually.
During the war, the Norwegians were the ones who rounded up Jews and robbed them before shipping them off to Auschwitz. After the war, emergency help was given to what the Norwegians called the two "hardest-hit groups" - fishermen and residents of the northern part of the country. The Jews, however, were robbed further by the Norwegian democrats. During the restitution process, they had to pay for the administration of those of their assets recovered from the looters. About 10 years ago a senior Norwegian Nazi official proudly told a Jewish visitor that he had no regrets, and still had paintings and furniture taken from Jews.
In the new round of restitution in the mid-1990s, several authorities did their utmost to avoid paying. Berit Reisel, the only Jewish member of the commission of inquiry, states that she was threatened by chairman Oluf Skarpnes, a former Justice Minister. He told her that if she didn't go along with his proposed report, it would cost her dearly as far as her life and health were concerned. Reisel added that a few days later she was attacked on a street in Oslo.
AFTER THE beginning of the second intifada, several Jewish children were harassed in school. The aggression was supported by teachers on several occasions. Since then, the Jewish community has kept a low profile. When asked by the press, its leaders will admit there is anti-Semitism, but claim that critics overstate it. They usually remain silent on the anti-Semitic aspects of anti-Israelism.
Norwegian hate cartoons often mix anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism. Some are straight-out anti-Semitic, such as one which appeared in the Labor movement daily Dagsavisen in 2003. It portrayed a Jew with a long beard reading the new Ten Commandments, including "murder, kill, liquidate, execute." During the Second Lebanon War, anti-Semitic incidents in Oslo were the most severe in Europe. The synagogue was shot at, the cantor was attacked on a main street and the Jewish cemetery was desecrated. The Jewish community's president Anne Sender was thereafter quoted in a European Jewish Congress report speaking of the considerable "atmosphere of intimidation and fear."
Anti-Israelism has been built up systematically in Norway by trade unions, media, some prominent Christians and politicians. The demonization is classic: major media report negative things about Israel while obfuscating or omitting Palestinian suicide attacks or declared genocidal intentions. The main counterforce is a small group of Christian friends.
NGO Monitor has analyzed how significant governmental development aid reaches NGOs engaged in political campaigning against Israel and in support of extreme Palestinian demands. The good the Norwegian government does, including subsidizing the rebuilding of synagogues in Poland, cannot be offset against the infrastructure of hatred it supports.
“When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews, You are talking anti-Semitism.”
In Europe it dates back to when Christianity became a state religion. In prior historical periods Israel was always a difficult area to control when it was conquered.
Also, in Europe because Jews were discriminated against and kept out of the trades they were further isolated from the population as a whole. What I'm trying to figure out is why the ongoing hatred. They suffered terribly during WWII and their population was decimated. IOW, they are not a noticeable portion of the population.
Perhaps a better question is, “Does the Norwegian media, accurately represent the Norwegian populace?”
“Jespersen explained that he wouldn’t burn the Koran if he wanted to live longer than a week.”
He already gave you an answer.
I missed that!
Thanks.
I don't think there is any controversy, Jews were essentially barred from the country till the mid 19th century. There have never been more that a thousand or two there. Of course lack of a population didn't prevent Shakespeare, who probably never met a Jew, from writing about Shylock.
Probably not, but they do mould opinion.
Here is one of their cheers. Of course in Scotland they sing f&ck the pope. I guess hatred is pretty common over there. This is not just one or two people but a large percentage of the fans attending the games.
GOOD OLD ADOLF HITLER
HE WAS A CHELSEA FAN
ONE DAY HE WENT TO WHITE HART LANE
AND ALL THE JEW BOYS RAN
AT LAST HE GOT A FEW OF THEM
UP AGAINST THE WALL
AT FIRST HE LAUGHED A LITTLE BIT
AND THEN HE GASSED THEM ALL
After reading this, I sadly come to the conclusion that Norway deserves to be overrun by their fellow Jew-hating islamiacs and jihadists...
Different era, the driving force was religion. Europe is secular now, except for the immigrants. Since WWII the population of Jews in Europe is very small, why the continued hatred.
Three main reasons, IMHO:
(1) I know this sounds like libspeak, but hatred really is a habit, both personally and culturally. It is a hard habit to break, too.
(2) Much of Europe is both arrogant and miserable. They feel superior, but know they are economically (per capita) and militarily inferioir to the US and by extension our friend Israel. That creates resentment, which is a short distance from hatred.
(3) They buy into the islamiac and leftscum propaganda that if it weren’t for Israel and by extension their friend the US’s support for Israel, the Middle East would be peaceful instead of the sore on humanity’s rear end that it is. So they blame/hate Israel and Jews.
These are generalizations. Not all Europeans think tis way or fit into these molds. But an awful lot do...
They have embraced their dhimmitude. The Muslims (Borg) have assimilated them..
I know and agree. It just seems odd that in Europe there would be this lingering hatred. They know first hand the horrors of what was done.
(2) Much of Europe is both arrogant and miserable. They feel superior, but know they are economically (per capita) and militarily inferioir to the US and by extension our friend Israel.
I agree with your assessment of how they view us and some of the reason they resent us, but Israel is every bit the socialist system they are. In fact Israel is even more dependent on us than they are. But yet they still resent them as much as us.
(3) They buy into the islamiac and leftscum propaganda that if it weren’t for Israel and by extension their friend the US’s support for Israel, the Middle East would be peaceful instead of the sore on humanity’s rear end that it is. So they blame/hate Israel and Jews.
Do you really think they buy into that 2nd grade crap? They have to realize by now the problem with the muslims is the muslims. The rest of the world only wants to do business.
The thing is as long as they keep Israel the big bad bogeyman the muzzies can silently take over countries like Norway. The people are too busy hating Israel because their leftists media tells them so, that they do not see the real enemy anymore. And that enemy is already way past the gate...
Hating Jews is ingrained in their culture. Their reasons change along with the trends of the day, but the Jew-hating remains constant.
They hate Jews regardless of what Muslims think of them or of Jews.
TROP is like an insidious, metastatic carcinoma. in some cases, radiotherapy may be indicated..
According to this site, the Muslim population of Norway is about 46,000. That is 35 TIMES their population of even nominal Jews -- 65 TIMES the number of practicing Jews in Norway.
So, what are we really looking at here? I suspect a propaganda war against Jews, playing on more-or-less latent Lutheran teachings, for the purpose, as you say, of diverting attention from real potential threats.
Norwegian MSM - which is dominated by socialists and “former” communists - has been demonizing Israel for the last 30 years.
Some ignorant Norwegians (mostly among the younger generations) have thus been brainwashed to hate Israel. As most Israelis are Jews, they also dislike them.
I have always been a friend of both Israel and Jews. The same goes for many of my fellow Norwegians, especially those who are active Christians.
Jespersen is a cowardly comedian. He know it is safe to target Christians and Jews, but is well aware of how dangerous it can be to insult Muslims.
Please excuse my bad English.
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