[LCM Articles] Norway up in arms after author asserts Israel has lost right to exist

Fri Aug 11 05:53:07 EDT 2006

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/749493.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder

In August 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006>, Gaarder published an
op-ed piece in the one of the largest newspapers in Norway,
Aftenposten<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aftenposten>,
expressing his outrage against Israel <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel>'s
military operations since
1967[4]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-3>
[5] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-4>
[6]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-5>.
The text, which Gaarder on an August 7<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_7>,
2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006>
NRK<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norsk_Rikskringkasting>Channel 2
radio debate said was read by "countless people" and "Middle East
experts" prior to publishing, is by many perceived as attacking not only
Israel and Israeli policy, but also Jews <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew>and
Judaism <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism> in general.

The piece, titled "God's Chosen People" and written in part as a response to
the Israel-Lebanon
conflict<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Israel-Lebanon_conflict>,
claims that Israel's policies are founded on a religion that is "archaic"
and "warriorlike". The op-ed is written as a prophecy, believed by some to
be based on the style of the Book of
Amos<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Amos>.
Gaarder maintains it is written not the way he wants it to be, but the way
he believes it might become true unless the state of Israel changes its
political course.[7] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-6>

Among other things, he writes:

We laugh at this people's whims, and cry over its misdeeds. To act as God's
chosen people is not only foolish and arrogant, it is a crime against
humanity. We call it racism. […] There are limits to our patience and there
are limits to our tolerance. We do not believe in divine promises as a
rationale for occupation and apartheid. We have left the Middle Ages behind.
We laugh with embarrassment at those who still believe that the god of the
flora, fauna and galaxies has chosen one particular people as his favorite,
and given them amusing stone tablets, burning bushes and a *license to kill*
.

In the article, Gaarder contrasts the use of religious legitimization of war
and occupation with humanistic values, quoting Albert
Schweitzer<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Schweitzer>:
"Humanity is never to sacrifice a human being for a cause." Furthermore, he
claims that many Israelis <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel> celebrate
the death of Lebanese <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon> children,
comparing this behavior to the Biblical story where the Israelites celebrate
God <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God>'s plagues against
Egypt<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt>.
He states: "We recognize the State of
Israel<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel>of
1948 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Arab-Israeli_War> but not that of
1967 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War>. It is the state of Israel
that fails to recognize, respect, or defer to the internationally lawful
Israeli state of 1948. Israel wants more; more water and more villages",
adding that Israel already has ceased to exist. He maintains he is a friend
of Jews <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew>, and finishes his article by
envisioning another exodus of Jews from Israel but hoping that: "[...] not
one Israeli child lose its life. Far too many civilians and children have
been murdered already."

Reactions to the article were mixed: some in the Jewish community, many
public Jewish organisations and Norwegian intellectuals, others criticized
it as being too harsh, while many also supported him
[8]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-7>
[9] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-8>
[10]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-9>
[11] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-10>.

The op-ed was published together with an interview of Gaarder where he
explains the thoughts behind the op-ed. When questioned what he wants to
achieve, he answered that he actually wrote it as a wake-up call to Israel.
The state of Israel he says, is the one not respecting Israel as it was
originally created by the United
Nations.[12]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-11>

When Aftenposten asked him if he went too far by not recognizing Israel, he
answered:

"The op-ed is a judgement prophecy. Of course I don't mean that Israel has
no right to defend itself. What I say, is no different than the world
community through the UN-resolutions. Again and again we see Israel
overreacting says Gaarder, and stresses that he is not against Israel as
such, but that he distinguishes between Israel of 1948 and the one of 1967."
[13] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-12>

In numerous interviews after the publication of the op-ed, Gaarder has
maintained that he is not an anti-semite and that the piece should not be
viewed as an attack on Jews or Judaism. The Jewish community in
Oslo<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo>,
however, have said that even if this should be the case, the article opens a
"can of worms" and legitimizes ancient and deep-rooted
anti-semitic<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Semitism>thoughts and
behaviour. Odd-Bjørn
Fure<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Odd-Bj%C3%B8rn_Fure&action=edit>,
renowned Norwegian historian and director of the
Oslo<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo>
Holocaust-centre <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust> says: "[...]
Gaarder uses a language which contributes to lowering barriers in the
description of Israel and Jewish culture. [...] Gaarder has crossed a line,
but I don't think he realizes
it"[14]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-13>
.

*"This is a classic anti-Semitic manifesto, which cannot even disguise
itself as criticism of Israel,"* said Professor Dina Porat, head of the
Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and
Racism at Tel Aviv University
"[15]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-14>.
*"The writer does not address the conflict in its contemporary context but
reaches back thousands of years to assert that the Jewish people have traits
of cruelty that have remained unchanged and account for the current
war,"*she says. Porat says that according to the European
Union <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union>, denying Israel's right
to exist arguing that its existence is racist is an anti-Semitic statement.
She also finds in Gaarder's text the use of classic anti-Semitic symbols,
like infanticide. *"I've been head of the Institute for the Study of
Contemporary Anti-Semitism for 15 years and it's not every day that I get to
read such a radical document, in terms of its content and rhetoric,"* she
said.

Three days after publishing the op-ed, Jostein Gaarder has expressed that he
will "withdraw from the debate", because of the strong reactions after his
article. He admits he could have phrased himself with more precision, but
that it would be too much work to do anything about it now. He also states
that what he wrote, was motivated by "disgust for the war, and the
wrongdoing of the Israeli army". Gaarder also said: "We have a very good
word in norwegian for what Israel is doing in Lebanon: *Hærverk* [vandalism,
or literally "the work of an army"]. And I also condemn the rockets of
Hezbollah towards Israel, just so that is said. I have said it numerous
times, and will repeat it: I'm a humanist, not an anti-semite. Both the
Jewish and Greek ideas are in the foundation of what I believe in"
[16]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-15>
.

Jostein Gaarder's Israeli publisher, Schocken Publishing
House<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Schocken_Publishing_House&action=edit>,
announced August 9 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_9>,
2006<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006>,
that it would stop cooperating with Jostein Gaarder and no longer publish
his books. In addition, Racheli
Edelman<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Racheli_Edelman&action=edit>,
the owner-publisher of Schocken Publishing House, is looking into whether
the op-ed is basis for a lawsuit against Jostein Gaarder
[17]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder#_note-16>
.
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