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Last update - 19:57 04/10/2009
'All-star team of Israel-haters' at Norway school raises concern
By Cnaan Liphshiz
Tags: Israel news, anti-Semitism 

In a move which Foreign Ministry sources defined as "unusual," Israel's embassy in Norway has officially protested the launch of a high profile academic seminar there delivered exclusively by lecturers known for their highly critical views of Israel.

Israel's Foreign Minister last week described Norway's attitude toward Israel as "hostile."

"We were saddened to learn that a biased and one-sided seminar on Israel is taking place at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim," Deputy Chief of Mission of the Israeli Embassy in Oslo, Aviad Ivri, wrote last month to the institution's dean.
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The seminar, whose first session took place last month, includes lectures by Ilan Pappe, who accuses Israel of perpetrating an "ethnic cleansing of Palestine" and by Stephen Walt, the coauthor of a controversial study on the effect of the Israel-lobby on U.S. policy. It has been described by prominent scholars as anti-Semitic.

Other speakers invited by NTNU Dean Torbjorn Digernes include Moshe Zuckermann, who in a January interview for Deutschlandradio - a widely-heard German program - said that operation Cast Lead cost hundreds of thousands of Gazan lives.

The members of the seminar's organizing committee - Morten Levin, Ann Rudinow Saetnan and Rune Skarstein - have all signed a call for an academic boycott of Israel. They also brought a few Norwegian speakers, famous for their critical view of Israel.

"There's no one on the panel with a neutral view of Israel, let alone anyone to advocate its position," a source from the Foreign Ministry said. "Usually we do not get involved with academic forums of this sort because it's a freedom-of-expression issue, but this all-star team of Israel-haters crosses a line," the diplomat added.

"The overwhelming majority [of Israeli academics] oppose Pappe and Zuckerman and are rarely if ever found in seminars in Norway," Ivri wrote.

Morten Levin from NTNU - a state-funded institution - replied to Haaretz's query on the allegations by saying the objective of the lectures is to "communicate to a broad audience a deeper research-based understanding" of the situation.

"This requires a critical and careful scrutiny based on standard scientific methods," he added. "Neither the Israeli state nor the Palestinian authority or Hamas will be defended. None of the lecturers will question the right of the Israeli state to exist."

Responding to speculations by pro-Israeli scholars that the seminars will be a prelude to a call on NTNU to boycott Israel, Levin said: "The organizing committee of the lecture series has no formal connection whatsoever to the organization working for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions."

The university's dean - who has called the seminar "praiseworthy" - did not reply to Haaretz's request to interview him.

Tammi Benjamin, an American university lecturer from California, has called on NTNU Dean Digernes "to profoundly apologize to his students for misleading them and for supporting known hate mongers against the Jewish state." Ronnie Fraser, a veteran U.K. activist against academic boycotts of Israel, has called on Digernes to resign.

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      1.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 15:24  |  borisb 04/10/09
      2.   Jewish Self Delusion 15:47  |  Steve Benassi 04/10/09
      3.   Ref; #1. 15:52  |  Narita. 04/10/09
      4.   Norwegians are similar to Arabs 15:53  |  Mongo 04/10/09
      5.   walt and pape tell the truth...zionist cant stand the truth 15:55  |  it is clear 04/10/09
      6.   Very poorly written article--abhorrent journalism 16:13  |  Tarik 04/10/09
      7.   to Narita #2 16:15  |  Krzysztof 04/10/09
      8.   What has it got to do with Israel 16:29  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/10/09
      9.   Ignorance isn`t Bliss 16:29  |  SMF 04/10/09
      10.   the americans 16:30  |  sameer 04/10/09
      11.   Jews have been in Israel for 3,000 years 16:31  |  Elizabeth 04/10/09
      12.   If the seminar contains blatant lies and they still shield it 16:37  |  x-ray 04/10/09
      13.   Tarik #6 16:37  |  Krzysztof 04/10/09
      14.   Tarik 16:38  |  x-ray 04/10/09
      15.   interesting 16:38  |  elisa 04/10/09
      16.   The norwegian speakers also pro pal 17:00  |  A norwegian friend 04/10/09
      17.   #11 Elizabeth - a history lesson 17:18  |  BDS 04/10/09
      18.   #11 Elizabeth 17:25  |  graczek 04/10/09
      19.   How many 17:40  |  Axel 04/10/09
      20.   # 11 elizabeth from boston 17:44  |  Axel 04/10/09
      21.   Elizabeth #11 17:49  |  Monitor 04/10/09
      22.   It`s simply really... 18:03  |  Jack 04/10/09
      23.   Axel, How Many 18:05  |  Eve 04/10/09
      24.   Axel #19 18:08  |  Krzysztof 04/10/09
      25.   # the truth 18:11  |  odles 04/10/09
      26.   ethnic cleansing? how come the palestinians 18:17  |  odles 04/10/09
      27.   "Concern" is subterfuge of Outlaws in Israel`s Government 18:21  |  Ivar 04/10/09
      28.   we must boycott the whole world now!! 18:23  |  zio jew boy 04/10/09
      29.   NO. 8--Chris Linthwaite 18:24  |  a wandering Jew 04/10/09
      30.   anti goyim (particularly arab goyim) hate speach is the norm 18:31  |  get over it 04/10/09
      31.   All Starteam of Israel Haters at Norway School 18:36  |  Denis C. Gray 04/10/09
      32.   #8 very academic linthwaite equates politics with academia 18:37  |  odles 04/10/09
      33.   Steve Benassi 18:42  |  rich 04/10/09
      34.   boycott zuckerman - he`s an israeli academic 18:43  |  odles 04/10/09
      35.   Chris Linthwaite 18:45  |  rich 04/10/09
      36.   Again a lack of prespectives 18:58  |  Abecassis 04/10/09
      37.   Proud Home of Oslo--as in Oslo Agreement (Truth emerges) 19:00  |  Paqid Yirmeyahu 04/10/09
      38.   Why I feel so sorry for Norway and Sweden 19:06  |  zoe 04/10/09
      39.   Socialized medicine and psychiatrists exist in Norway 19:14  |  Murray of Montreal 04/10/09
      40.   #31 dcg`s antisemitic card 19:18  |  odles 04/10/09
      41.   Goodbye, Norway. We`ll miss you. 19:35  |  Heather Czerniak 04/10/09
      42.   Typical attempt to stifle criticism 19:37  |  Mike S. 04/10/09
      43.   #29 A wandering jew 19:38  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/10/09
      44.   #35 Rich 19:46  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/10/09
      45.   One wonderfull day 19:54  |  Peter 04/10/09
      46.   #31 Odles don`t be 19:55  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/10/09
      47.   How uninteresting 19:58  |  observer 04/10/09
      48.   oh please... 19:58  |  Peter 04/10/09
      49.   Norway school 20:02  |  ALF HOLST 04/10/09
      50.   NO. 43--Chris Linthwaite 20:07  |  a wandering Jew 04/10/09
      51.   Nothing New in Norway 20:11  |  Antigonos 04/10/09
      52.   Chris Linthwaite 20:12  |  SIMON 04/10/09
      53.   Trigger happy Arabs,defending land they stole from Jews 20:31  |  Gringo 04/10/09
      54.   These Critics Do Not Deserve A Response 20:34  |  Yaakov Sulolivan 04/10/09
      55.   A Good friend tells you 20:52  |  Trond 04/10/09
      56.   #38 Zoe 21:09  |  Kristian 04/10/09
      57.   Israel the bully tries to crush free speech once again 21:09  |  peacelover 04/10/09
      58.   natural tedius return of europe to endemic anti semitism 21:25  |  bernard ross 04/10/09
      59.   This is not a debate 21:38  |  Cynic #2 04/10/09
      60.   The deans page 21:48  |  torv1 04/10/09
      61.   They didn`t invite Gideon and Amira? 21:52  |  S 04/10/09
      62.   Either censor the whole world or G-d forbid face the truth 21:57  |  Dolphin 04/10/09
      63.   #56 slippery dolphin 22:36  |  odles 04/10/09
      64.   54# Peacelover 22:58  |  Israeliguy 04/10/09
      65.   Trond #53 be a litbit modest... 23:02  |  Krzysztof 04/10/09
      66.   Graczeck Elizabeth is right 23:05  |  Israeliguy 04/10/09
      67.   Graczeck continued: 23:08  |  Israeliguy 04/10/09
      68.   fascinating, speak up against israel and you`re a jew-hater 23:13  |  sabera 04/10/09
      69.   57# Odles we allow them to slander us 23:14  |  Israeliguy 04/10/09
      70.   56# Can you hear the Dolphin cry??? 23:17  |  i 04/10/09
      71.   `indigenous` people 23:18  |  daniel burge 04/10/09
      72.   #46 chris, what a coherent point by point responsa 23:41  |  odles 04/10/09
      73.   Elizabeth uses the we-were-here-first argument 23:47  |  hollingsworth 04/10/09
      74.   Israel and Jews who support the greater israel 23:52  |  Labhras 04/10/09
      75.   Byzantium Should Return to Christianity 00:02  |  David Shapira 05/10/09
      76.   #8 Chris, we in Ireland want a peice of that lieberman 00:04  |  Labhras 05/10/09
      77.   #8 Chris, we in Ireland want a peice of that lieberman 00:04  |  Labhras 05/10/09
      78.   A wandering Jew---you are mis informed 00:16  |  Labhras 05/10/09
      79.   Well, this is what the likes of Prof Ron Breiman bring upon us 00:50  |  Esther 05/10/09
      80.   Sorry, this article is complete b-s 01:16  |  Markus Grafenburg 05/10/09
      81.   Norway killing muslims in Afghanistan is ok 01:38  |  joaquim levi 05/10/09
      82.   graczek #18 02:52  |  Mickey 05/10/09
      83.   BDS The Palestinians OFFICIALLY call themselves ARABS 03:12  |  PETER SM 05/10/09
      84.   Who is Ilan Pappe 04:02  |  Jon 05/10/09
      85.   Norwegian`s want revenge 04:03  |  A TRUE American 05/10/09
      86.   Well. But how many Pro-Israel only and nobody protests 04:35  |  Miki 05/10/09
      87.   to Chris Linthwaite #44 04:54  |  Maxine T. 05/10/09
      88.   Oil & Socialism a Dangerous Combination 05:21  |  Eli 05/10/09
      89.   Israel-haters` at Norway school 06:24  |  Hugh 05/10/09
      90.   Ethnic Cleansing . . . 06:54  |  Samantha Serra 05/10/09
      91.   Anti- Israel Norway 07:03  |  John Swanston 05/10/09
      92.   Poor students in Norway.... 07:04  |  Samantha Serra 05/10/09
      93.   Answer to graczek 07:24  |  Samantha Serra 05/10/09
      94.   AIPAC using US government as megaphone is creating Anti-Semitism 07:55  |  Rod 05/10/09
      95.   Steve Benassi, the occupier speaks?? 08:08  |  Joe Sittizen 05/10/09
      96.   strange headline 08:11  |  Carol SCHELLER 05/10/09
      97.   Maxine #63, I have the answer 08:13  |  Mike 05/10/09
      98.   #55 S, That was a low blow but very funny 08:16  |  Mike 05/10/09
      99.   Israel`s government never heard of freedom of speech 08:41  |  Michael 05/10/09
      100.   The real haters 09:38  |  IL 05/10/09
      101.   N0. 78 --me think you are not even in it! 11:16  |  a wandering Jew 05/10/09
      102.   The middle way 11:40  |  Multippel 05/10/09
      103.   Don´t be stupid 22:28  |  mojo 05/10/09
      104.   It is none of Israel`s business what is taught in Norways schools 01:17  |  American in NY 06/10/09
      105.   Israel: Grow Up! Its called freedom of speech 09:50  |  John 06/10/09
      106.   #41: Freedom to choose 14:07  |  Carl 18/10/09
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