There are about a thousand Jews in Norway. This is what life is like for them.
The Norwegian self-image
Norwegian society, however, has obstacles to effectively combating [antisemitism].
First, a deep-seated fundamental belief by Norwegians that their national character is deeply and essentially “good,”
makes Norwegians reluctant to accuse one of their own of a sin perceived to be as odious as anti-Semitism. Second,
whether an anti-Semitic (or racist) statement has been made is determined by the speaker, not the offended group. Even
unacceptable statements are forgiven so long as the speaker insists upon his or her good intentions. Third, Norway
follows a social model based on consensus rather than individualism, so Norwegians are somewhat more prone to have
difficulty differentiating between individuals and groups.
Former Prime Minister Kare Willoch
Over the last two months, a former prime minister, Kare Willoch, and a preeminent commentator on U.S. policy, Ole Moen, were accused of making comments that were anti-Semitic. On December 30 in a television debate program, when asked about the prospect for progress in the Middle East with Obama leading negotiations, Willoch said, “it doesn’t look good, because he has chosen a Jew as a chief of staff.”
Mona Levin, a Jewish columnist who also participated in the television debate, later wrote a column in which she accused
Willoch of both anti-Semitism and racism for sending a message that Jews can’t be trusted and blacks are easily manipulated. She also commented on a feeling of hatred she perceived from him during the television debate, noting he pointedly said “you people,” although her family has lived in Norway since the 19th century. Many voices in the media (including Willoch’s own) have risen to his defense. Willoch has for years been an especially strident voice against Israeli policy.
Prominent political commentator, Ole Moen:
Ole Moen is the most frequently quoted academic on US policy. During the election, he predicted that Americans would never elect either a black man or a woman due to the racism and sexism that he believes permeates American society. On January 9 Moen said Obama “has appointed many Jews and pro-Israel people in his administration. …This makes me have little hope for significant change (in Middle East policy.)” Despite complaints by a prominent commentator that Moen characterized Jews as a group and appears to have assumed Jews don’t have independent opinions as individuals, because they’re Jewish, no apology was offered. Both Willoch and Moen publicly and repeatedly rejected the characterization of their comments as anti-Semitic.
The Embassy official
In mid-January, a first secretary at the Norwegian embassy in Saudi Arabia used the MFA’s email system to send
out a fundraising email appeal for Gaza with images comparing Israeli soldiers with Nazi soldiers, urging recipients to forward it as a chain letter. The MFA said it would be dealt with as an internal personnel matter and there has been no further public information given on the disposition of the case.
The Chief Rabbi
The chief Rabbi of the Oslo Synagogue reportedly receives a pile of hate mail each day. Typical salutations on such mail are, “Murderers,” “Maybe Hitler was right,” “May hatred toward you Jews grow and strengthen,” and so forth.
Life for ordinary Jews:
One orthodox Jewish family in Oslo chose not to take their children to synagogue, as their appearance on the street makes them especially vulnerable. Some Jewish parents are walking with their children to school as an added security measure. There have been reports of bullying at school, where Jewish children are subject to insults. A recent expose on anti-Semitism in a major paper found that “Jew” has become an epithet among both Muslim and Christian teenagers. One Muslim teenager interviewed commented that his friends say that the Israelis “aren’t people.” When pressed by the reporter on what that meant, he responded, “well of course we know they’re people, but when we say they’re inhuman, we mean they aren’t good people.”
Antisemitism is easier to express than criticism of Hamas
For all of these reasons, latent anti-Semitism is more likely to be expressed publicly, if indirectly, and in turn increase anti-Semitism in society at large. Offended Norwegians feel constrained about protesting anti-Semitism, since they would be questioning the Norwegian self-image. Post believes that the “legitimization of rage” practiced by the Norwegian media, in which outrage over Israeli policy is encouraged, has contributed to an atmosphere in which anti-Semitism is easier for ordinary Norwegians to express; there is no corresponding freedom to attack Hamas, however, sine the local narrative predominantly blames Israel.
Although the [Government of Norway] would deny it, there are clear signs that contacts with Hamas go beyond a tactical desire for dialogue to a level of sympathy for Hamas positions. The [Foreign Minister Stoere] once told DCM for example that one could not expect Hamas to recognize Israel without knowing which borders Israel will have. While the FM expresses some sympathy for Hamas’ positions only in unguarded moments, other prominent Norwegians go further.
Mohammed Hamdan, leader of Norway’s Islamic Council, is the brother of Osama Hamdan, Hamas leader in Lebanon:
Osama Hamdan is the brother of the former leader of the Islamic Council in Norway, Mohammed Hamdan. Mohammed Hamdan played a key role in contacts between Muslims and the Norwegian authorities after the publication of the Mohammed cartoons.
This thus gives Hamas leader Osama Hamdan a very good channel to the Norwegian government.
UPDATE
Sauerkraut in the comments links to an interview with Dr. Michal Rachel Suissa, a Jewish Amazigh (Berber) refugee from Morocco who works as an associate professor in medicinal chemistry at University College of Oslo
In an anti-Israeli demonstration led by the Norwegian minister of finance and other left-wing notables directed against the military operation in Gaza, many young Arabs marched through the streets of Oslo chanting: “Itbah al yahood!” (Kill the Jews!). This did not occur during the Holocaust, but in January 2009 in the streets of Oslo. Norwegian and Muslim children saw their leaders walk hand-in-hand with radical Islamists.
