Comments on: Obama in Oslo http://blog.z-word.com/2009/12/obama-in-oslo/ Commentary about Zionism, anti-Zionism, antisemitism and the conflict in the Middle East Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:18:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5-RC1.1 By: Kristian http://blog.z-word.com/2009/12/obama-in-oslo/#comment-8780 Kristian Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:19:41 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=1476#comment-8780 True! Friends can indeed get you into trouble. That is one reason I believe reactions to Walt and Mearsh's "US and the Israel lobby" have been a bit harsh. Although this particular book is not a work of research it does raise some interesting questions, much along the same lines as you do here. In Norway we see that government's support to the Palestinian cause brings no good whatsoever to Norway, and it is highly questionable whether anyone else benefits either. Yet support in itself is considered a good thing as Israel is considered "bad". Why Israel is considered "bad"? Well what would you do if you were stuck up in the icy wastelands with a university education in the social sciences and your only volatile neighbor was Russia? We Norwegians have difficulty in facing problems which might explode in our face, so we commit ourselves to the faraway lands of Sri Lanka and the Middle East. Rather than scrutinize Russia, who killed up to 100 000 people in the first Checnhyan war and has invaded two of our neighbors, we satiate our thirst for action by proxy, by leaving it to Hamas-like warriors upon whom we can project our left-wing perceptions. For us Norwegians, Israel is a whipping boy worth his weight in gold. True! Friends can indeed get you into trouble. That is one reason I believe reactions to Walt and Mearsh’s “US and the Israel lobby” have been a bit harsh. Although this particular book is not a work of research it does raise some interesting questions, much along the same lines as you do here.

In Norway we see that government’s support to the Palestinian cause brings no good whatsoever to Norway, and it is highly questionable whether anyone else benefits either. Yet support in itself is considered a good thing as Israel is considered “bad”. Why Israel is considered “bad”? Well what would you do if you were stuck up in the icy wastelands with a university education in the social sciences and your only volatile neighbor was Russia?

We Norwegians have difficulty in facing problems which might explode in our face, so we commit ourselves to the faraway lands of Sri Lanka and the Middle East. Rather than scrutinize Russia, who killed up to 100 000 people in the first Checnhyan war and has invaded two of our neighbors, we satiate our thirst for action by proxy, by leaving it to Hamas-like warriors upon whom we can project our left-wing perceptions.

For us Norwegians, Israel is a whipping boy worth his weight in gold.

]]> By: Petra http://blog.z-word.com/2009/12/obama-in-oslo/#comment-8764 Petra Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:43:34 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=1476#comment-8764 Kristian, you raise a number of very interesting points. Picking up on your remarks about the "Friends of Palestine", I think one problem is that it's sometimes very strange what such "friends" are up to, since being a "friend of Palestine" all too often seems to be taken as being first and foremost an enemy of Israel. The point I'm trying to focus on here, i.e. that it's high time to confront the fact that the Palestinian refugee problem will only be solved if the Arabs shoulder the responsibility they have in this matter, is an issue "friends of Palestine" should have taken up a long time ago. Obviously, we can only speculate what motivated Abbas to basically not respond to Olmert's proposals last year, but I think the myth of a "right of return" very likely played a huge role. Maybe at least the media are starting to be a bit more willing to address this issue; I almost couldn't believe my eyes today when I came across this report from Al Arabiya that shows the hypocrisy that prevails very well: http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/12/06/93361.html Kristian, you raise a number of very interesting points. Picking up on your remarks about the “Friends of Palestine”, I think one problem is that it’s sometimes very strange what such “friends” are up to, since being a “friend of Palestine” all too often seems to be taken as being first and foremost an enemy of Israel. The point I’m trying to focus on here, i.e. that it’s high time to confront the fact that the Palestinian refugee problem will only be solved if the Arabs shoulder the responsibility they have in this matter, is an issue “friends of Palestine” should have taken up a long time ago. Obviously, we can only speculate what motivated Abbas to basically not respond to Olmert’s proposals last year, but I think the myth of a “right of return” very likely played a huge role. Maybe at least the media are starting to be a bit more willing to address this issue; I almost couldn’t believe my eyes today when I came across this report from Al Arabiya that shows the hypocrisy that prevails very well:
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/12/06/93361.html

]]> By: Kristian http://blog.z-word.com/2009/12/obama-in-oslo/#comment-8763 Kristian Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:02:54 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=1476#comment-8763 Intelligently observed. Norway is indeed likely to bring up the Middle East as a topic during president Obama's visit. Norway is however no longer in a position where she can shoulder the role of peace-broker. After the failure of the the Oslo accords, the archives attached to the case disappeared from the Foreign Ministry. In Parliament today, we see the lobby group "Friends of Palestine", which is backed by government parties, completely outpunch the opposition's "Friends of Israel". Meanwhile the media is far to busy analyzing the US Israel-Lobby's impact on US foreign policy to even acknowledge the existence of a Palestine-Lobby in Norway, not to speak of its impact on Norwegian foreign affairs. Israel is today one of the very few states with which Norway has "strained" relations, and President Obama's councilors are certain to have picked up on this fact. Then again, war is expensive and money is scarce. And Norway has a lot of the stuff. It is unfortunately not completely unlikely that Norway will be allowed some small role in the next round of ME peace brokering. But it is highly undeserved, and Israel should have a good look at the alternatives before agreeing to it. Intelligently observed. Norway is indeed likely to bring up the Middle East as a topic during president Obama’s visit. Norway is however no longer in a position where she can shoulder the role of peace-broker.

After the failure of the the Oslo accords, the archives attached to the case disappeared from the Foreign Ministry. In Parliament today, we see the lobby group “Friends of Palestine”, which is backed by government parties, completely outpunch the opposition’s “Friends of Israel”. Meanwhile the media is far to busy analyzing the US Israel-Lobby’s impact on US foreign policy to even acknowledge the existence of a Palestine-Lobby in Norway, not to speak of its impact on Norwegian foreign affairs.

Israel is today one of the very few states with which Norway has “strained” relations, and President Obama’s councilors are certain to have picked up on this fact. Then again, war is expensive and money is scarce. And Norway has a lot of the stuff.

It is unfortunately not completely unlikely that Norway will be allowed some small role in the next round of ME peace brokering. But it is highly undeserved, and Israel should have a good look at the alternatives before agreeing to it.

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