Benkow put his foot in his mouth when he chimed in on a dispute between the Norwegian royal family and Israel's ambassador to Norway. Paranoid Benkow went on to say that Norway's media was the most Israeli-hostile in the Western world:
Politicians deny hostility
The latest debate sparked by remarks about the royal family from Israel's ambassador to Norway has provoked another after Norway was then accused of being one of the most Israel-hostile countries in the world.Israel's ambassador to Norway Miryam Shomrat apologized after saying she had hoped for more visible support from Norway's royal family after recent incidents directed against the synagogue in Oslo, a statement that provoked a sharp reaction from Norway's Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. She blamed the media for misrepresenting her, but Norway's Jewish community also reacted strongly to what they felt were inappropriate remarks about the royals.
The anti-Israel label was first reported after an unnamed Israeli official was quoted in Israel's largest newspaper Yedioth Aharonot saying that the poor treatment of the Israeli ambassador in Oslo in general was unique, and this was followed by reports and claims of anti-Israel and anti-Semitism tendencies from Norway from a variety of sources.
Raanan Gissin, adviser for former prime minister Ariel Sharon told TV 2 that Norway stood out as one of the most Israel-hostile countries in Europe, and claimed there were terrorist organizations on Norwegian soil working for the genocide of Israeli citizens.
Jo Benkow, a former president of the Storting, Norway's parliament, and arguably the most prominent Jewish figure in Norway, added his voice to critics, saying that Norway's media was the most Israeli-hostile in the Western world.
Leading Norwegian politicians were quick to voice their replies.
"Sympathy for the Jewish people and Israel is still very great in Norway, and still among the strongest in Europe. At the same time I think we have become among the most critical to Israel's current policy," said Thorbjørn Jagland, president of Storting and former Labor Prime Minister, and argues that this is in no way a contradiction in terms.
"Because Norwegians have had so close a relationship to Israel they are all the more disconsolate over the policies toward the Palestinians. Through the Oslo (peace) process Norway's population has also developed a close and near relationship to the Palestinians and their cause," Jagland said.
Petersen
Former Conservative Foreign Minister Jan Petersen believes that Israel has been too touchy in its reactions to Norway in recent days and that there is now a strong need to calm things down.
"Israel must be able to take criticism without interpreting everything as fundamental criticism. But we have a job to do in terms of strengthening the bilateral relationship between Norway and Israel, also in areas such as research, culture and business. If we are to play a role in the Middle East we are dependent upon broad contact and respect in both camps," Petersen said.
Bondevik
Former Christian Democrat Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik could not agree with claims that Norway is hostile to Israel and that Norwegian media is overly biased.
"One must differentiate between our fundamental solidarity with the state of Israel and that one can criticize individual acts carried out by the Israeli government. Even a friend of Israel such as myself must be allowed to criticize. Also one must differentiate between Norwegian authorities and what is expressed in the media. If someone in Israel believes that the Norwegian media is negative, it does not mean that Norway is hostile," Bondevik said.
Benkow disagrees
"Even relatively moderate Israeli politicians believe that Norwegian media are the most Israel-critical in the Western world and I do too," Benkow said. He does not believe that the Norwegian public is particularly hostile to Israel but that many do build on the impression they get from the media.
"My overall impression is that the media has been more concerned with criticizing Israel, the only free nation in the region, than with criticizing the other side," Benkow said, and has in mind various calls to boycott and the attention given to Jostein Gaarder and former party colleague and Conservative ex-prime minister, Kåre Willoch.
Benkow sees this pair as representing an unusually unilateral critical attitude to Israel. Benkow had no quarrel with various Norwegian governments that had "by and large" behaved correctly towards Israel.
Odd-Bjørn Fure, director of the Center for Holocaust Studies does not feel there is a basis for claiming Norwegian opinion has become more Israel-critical than other European nations, but he does see a slow process that has transformed formerly strongly pro-Israel feelings to one that criticizes aspects of Israel's policies.
"The shocking incidents of physical attacks on the synagogue have triggered a wave of solidarity with the Jewish minority, a wide and strong wave that has made an impression, We still don't know if there is a connection with these anti-Semitic acts and a wider spectrum of anti-Semitic attitudes. This is a question that must be posed openly," Fure said.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/lo...cle1475566.ece
Israeli ambassador sets off storm of criticism
The Jewish community in Oslo was leading a chorus of critics against Israel's ambassador to Norway on Tuesday, after the Jewish state's top local envoy had dished out criticism of her own against Norway's royal family and government. Ambassador Miryam Shomrat has now apologized, sort of."First I was furious, now I'm just sad because the damage is done," said Anne Sender, spokesman for Oslo's synagogue and The Mosaic Religious Community in Norway (Det Mosaiske Trossamfund, DMT). "It's most unfortunate that the ambassador has done what she's done."
Sender told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) Tuesday morning that she had spoken with Shomrat and that the ambassador "now sees that she crossed the line, and I'm very glad about that," Sender said, repeating earlier statements that Shomrat had no right to level criticism against Norwegian officials on behalf of Norwegian Jews.
Shomrat angered her own fellow Jews, along with Norwegian officials, when she told national media outlets late Monday that the royal family, led by King Harald, and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg should have expressed more solidarity with the Jewish community following a recent shooting at the Oslo synagogue.
Shomrat claimed that the royal family is hailed in the Oslo synagogue every Saturday, adding that it shouldn't be "a one-way" affair. She also claimed that Jews in Norway felt "alone," lacked sufficient sympathy from the royals and the government, and suggested that the lack of "a stronger reaction" from the royal family and the government could give rise to anti-Semitism in Norway.
Nonsense, claimed Sender, who ironically had just written her own expression of gratitude for support shown after the synagogue shooting. "If we had wanted to make such criticism, we would have done so ourselves, but we would never have dreamed of coming with the kind of attack on the royal family that she (Shomrat) has made here," said Sender, referring to Shomrat's remarks broadcast nationwide on the Monday night NRK TV news.
In a press release issued later in the day, Shomrat claimed it wasn't her intention to criticize the royal family, and she blamed the press for interpreting her remarks as such. "I deeply regret if this was the impression created in the media," she wrote.
Sender maintained that the ambassador's remarks were simply unwarranted, because a string of government officials including Stoltenberg himself had repeatedly expressed deep concern after the synagogue shooting. Norway's justice minister made a special trip to the synagogue on behalf of the government, as did the Bishop of Oslo and Oslo's leading imam, to show solidarity from the local Christian and Muslim communities.
'Inappropriate'
It's highly unusual for an ambassador in Norway to direct criticism against Norway's royal family, whose role is to remain above politics. Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre had called the Israeli ambassador's remarks "inappropriate" on national radio Tuesday morning, and Stoltenberg strongly denied her suggestion that Norwegian officials hadn't made a large enough show of sympathy and support.
So did the president of the Norwegian Parliament, Thorbjørn Jagland, who's long been actively involved in efforts to win peace in the Middle East.
"I would say that our solidarity has been made clear to the Jewish community in Norway to the highest degree," Jagland told newspaper Aftenposten. "Regarding the criticism against the royal family, I must say that I don't find that fair either, especially since it's highly unusual for the royal house to ever make any declarations following specific events."
Officials at the Royal Palace in Oslo, which is just across the street from the heavily guarded Israeli Embassy, had declined comment on the ambassador's claims.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/lo...cle1472623.ece
Ambassador regrets offense
Israel's ambassador Miryam Shomrat has issued a press release saying she never meant to criticize Norway's royal family and claims she has been misrepresented by media.In a letter to Norway's Foreign Ministry (UD) the Israeli ambassador said that she did not intend any criticism of the royal family and deeply regretted if her remarks had been interpreted in this way.
Shomrat expressed her highest respect for the royal family and asked that her apology be relayed to them.
"It is with great dismay that I have understood that certain of my answers regarding the shooting upon the synagogue on Sunday a week ago have been presented as criticism of His Majesty the King," Shomrat said in a press release, and insisted that there was never any intention of criticism of any member of the royal family. "I deeply regret that this was the impression created by the media," she said.
Foreign Ministry communication adviser Anders Rikter told Aftenposten that this was the end of the matter as far as the UD was concerned. The palace had no comment other than to confirm that they had been informed of the letter's contents via the UD.
Shomrat said in interviews with Aftenposten and NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting) in connection with the shooting upon the synagogue that she missed a sign of support and solidarity from the royal family, and said that prayers were said for them every Saturday and that there should not be a one-way relationship.
Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre reacted sharply to the remarks and called them "unsuitable", saying Shomrat had gone too far and should have been aware that the royal family can never reply to such remarks.
Anne Sender, religious leader for The Mosaic Religious Community, also received an apology from the ambassador.
"We had a long conversation. She had understood that she had gone too far and she offered an apology," Sender said.
Sender said that she was both upset by the criticism of the royal family and by the impression the ambassador gave of speaking on behalf of Norway's Jews, and said many Norwegian Jews had reacted to the statement.
"She is a guest in this country. She is not our ambassador," Sender said, and emphasized that it was important to differentiate between being Norwegian and Israeli. Sender hoped that the matter had not hurt Jews in Norway and that the affair could now be played down.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/lo...cle1474214.ece