Norweigian ex-Prime Minister Defends Himself Against Charge of Antisemitism
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The former prime minister of Norway, Kare Willoch, spoke out recently against Israel and also against a grouping of Israeli scholars who this past week held a conference in Jerusalem where they accused the Scandinavian countries of anti-Antisemitism and Israel-hatred.
Willoch responded that that such a tactic of accusing critics of Israel as anti-Semitic, as tactic often veiled in the language of a so-called "new Antisemitism", is nothing more than a snide effort to shield Israel from criticism.
"It's a traditional deflection tactic aimed at diverting attention from the real problem, which is Israel's well-documented and incontestable abuse of Palestinians," Willoch stated.
The aforementioned event was held at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs where several speakers sought to document Scandinavian, as seen by the speakers, anti-Antisemitism.
Dr. Manfred Gerstenfled, a Holland-born Israeli-citizen Holocaust survivor, spoke about the anti-Antisemitism he saw in Norwegian newspaper. "Norway is the most anti-Semitic country in Scandinavia," he stated.
One cartoon ,in a supposedly mainstream paper in Norway, featured an ultra-Orthodox Jew engraving "thou shall murder" into an alternative Decalogue. Another cartoon - though clearly anti-Israel and not anti-Semitic - featured resigning Israeli PM Olmert dressed at a guard in front of a death camp while holding a rifle and smiling. Gerstenfled thought the latter cartoon also anti-Semitic.
Willoch responded to the charge of Norway being anti-Semitic by stated: "Anyone who accuses Norway of anti-Semitism is closing his eyes and ears."
The Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Danish ambassadors were all invited but did not show up. Though five Scandinavian journalists did attend and some countered the accusations.
"Why is criticism of Israel automatically considered anti-Semitism," Louise Stigsgaard Nissen, the Middle East Bureau chief for a Danish newspaper he questioned. "Why can't one criticize Israel as one criticizes the U.S. without being called an anti-Semite?," he continued.
