Sunday, February 7, 2016

Norway: Speaker at Holocaust memorial says Jews are not speaking out enough against Israel


Via MIFF:

On International Holocaust Day the Jewish community in Trondheim held a memorial ceremony.

Among the speakers was Professor Bernt Hagtvet from the University of Oslo.  After half an hour talking about the Holocaust and antisemitism, he started talking about Israel, the "elephant in the room".  "It's tragic that the state that was established to prevent this type of identification, this type of oppression, has become the Jewish state of Israel."  He said he does not, of course, blame Norwegian Jews for Israel's policies, but that he doesn't hear enough Jews speak out.  "What is happening in Palestine is a tragedy like no other, and it's clear that the right-wing Zionist right is responsible for it."

"The Israeli left is gone, and we are left to deal with an expanding robber-state which is a tragedy for the Jews."

When he was challenged on that last sentence, he doubled down, saying that Israel is occupying another country and treats Palestinians in an almost-racist way.  "Go and see how border checkpoints treat pregnant women. It's incomparably degrading and is extra-tragic because the Israeli-left has been so weak".

The next lecturer, focusing on antisemitism in Norway, pointed out how anti-Israel attitudes directly influence anti-Jewish attitudes.



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