Norway university rebuffs motion for Israel boycott
Trondheim university board members accept official's proposal to scrap motion from meeting's agenda.
By Cnaan Liphshiz Tags: Israel newsAn academic boycott of Israel in Norway was averted on Thursday, when the executive board of the University of Trondheim unanimously decided to reject the controversial move.
"The vote resulted in total victory," said Professor Bjorn Alsberg, a member of the board of the Trondheim-based Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Alsberg, a chemistry professor, led a campaigned at the Norwegian city against the boycott.
He said that the vote to boycott Israel - which drew condemnations from Jewish organizations in Israel and elsewhere - was rejected after none of the 11 board members objected when NTNU Dean Torbjorn Digernes suggested scrapping the motion from the board meeting's agenda.
"Some of the people in attendance spoke in favor of scrapping the vote,"Alsberg told Haaretz. "The main arguments raised were that Norwegian universities should not [make] their own foreign policies, and that a boycott would be harmful to NTNU."
According to Alsberg, who collected signatures from over 100 NTNU scholars against the boycott, the move was prevented due to "a combination of factors." He said these included media attention; opposition to the boycott by the Norwegian Ministry for Higher Education; and petitions, including his own.
But Erez Uriely, director of the Oslo-based Center against Anti-Semitism, said the boycott was prevented largely thanks to Alsberg's petition.
"Norwegian politicians often take anti-Israeli positions and then renege when this creates an outcry," he said. "The petition against a boycott of Israel at NTNU is an unusual event which tipped the scale."
Prof. Yossi Ben-Artzi, rector of the University of Haifa, who ahead of the vote asked his Trondheim counterpart to prevent a boycott, said following the vote: "I hope this decision will preempt any future attempt to impose an academic boycott of Israel."
Relations between Israel and Norway were strained earlier this year when a Norwegian investment fund divested from the Israeli arms firm Elbit over its involvement in the West Bank separation fence.
The director general of the Foreign Ministry, Yossi Gal, subsequently summoned the Norwegian ambassador to Israel, Jakken Bjørn Lian, to protest the move.
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The University of Trondheim. |
| Photo by: (Courtesy of NTNU) |
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#2 is extraordinary. When good things happen, you supposed to applaud. If you do not like the decision (which is difficult to believe in the liberally minded world of today), perhaps you should think twice before you make a fool of yourself. The Norwegion University personnel made a correct action. There is no type II error here.
..when its board gives way to pressure from outside groups and fails to do what is morally and legally right in this case. I can't see how they are even going to live this down among their own and the free and moral world. It's such hypocrisy! it invalidates their claim....Dutch
at the end of the day all People on Earth must cave in to Western Zionists! otherwise.......
Anti-Semitism is, like any form of racism, based on ignorance - just the same as calling people who have a genuine concern for human rights anti-Semites. I should have thought that the Gaza 'operation' is excuse enough to criticize Israel, although my own interest in Israel/Palestine dates back to before 1967, when I was pro-Israeli. If you've got a good argument you should use it, take the ball and not the man.
Why do you label people who support Palestinian rights extremists Mark? If you support the occupation why don't you just admit it.
The attempt only shows how much anti-semitism there is in the world. The Gaza operation is only an excuse.
Good! Well done. Now it is on to the next gathering boycott cloud, to the next motley crew of frustrated Trotskyites and angered Moslem academics.
I am glad that the University of Trondheim unanimously rejected a boycott of Israel. It was a silly proposal. No doubt reality will not intrude upon the psychopaths who hate Norway. They will still claim that Norway is part of The Vast Islamofascist Conspiracy. A pathetic and small group of extremists in Norway have been rejected. This will not influence the much larger group of extremists that will refuse to accept as victory what happened.
israel will spend its numbered days as zionists blocking the holes of its boat, as the rising condemnation from teh world would encircle israel from norway and canada , UK Australia till it couldnt withstand.. The world isnt blind anymore and not an easy cookie for the zionist Propaganda .. those days are gone
It takes only a very small group of dedicated Leninist cadres to create the impression of being a major global revolutionary movement. The boycott stunt in Norway was en example of how a numerically insignificant cell of trained Leninists can dominate the media for weeks. The whole exercise was meant for media consumption, and must be considered a success not quite unlike the media stunts of Peace Now.
It is refreshing to hear what you posted, but I think there is a notion that Europeans, especially scandanavians are anti-Israel. Maybe its b/c we hear about the negative things more often than the good things? For all our sake, I hope what you say is true...not sure about the numbers, but I feel like people will always find the truth and decide for themselves rather than give in to propoganda!
well said !
What is vile is the occupation, and any peaceful means to stop this gets my full support and participation.
... to see the kind of hate Ish Emmes represents. I just read a comment (written by an american) in JPost calling the people of Sweden nazis. I responded by calling the american guy an idiot. My comment was censored. Obviously, its OK to call someone a nazi, but its not OK to call a hatefull american an idiot. Personally, i'd much rather be an idiot than a nazi. I think a lot of people are overusing the word nazi. And I think that's dangerous.
and paticipating in the killing of inocent civilians in Afghanistan!
What is Norway's Leftists' problem and in general Europe's Leftits? Why do they hold hands with Moslem conservatives?
The comment that Norwegians should wear Nazi armbands is the most vile kind of hate speech itself. This is a people who fought the Nazi occupation, largely contributed to preventing the development of a Nazi atomic bomb, and helped a significant portion of their Jewish population escape. You can find people wanting to undertake these boycotts everywhere, including in Israel. There's nothing unique about the Scandinavian situation that leads them to this. Just like in America, the antisemites get a lot of ink in newspapers, but are not a majority.
The vast majority of Norwegians are against a boycott. The boycott suggested by the tiny minority of extremist professors was scrapped by 11 of 11 university board members. When the Socialist Left Party promoted consumer boycott of Israel, Norwegians responded by bying MORE Israeli goods than ever. Stop being so goddamn ignorant and judge the entire Norwegian population by the actions undertaken by a few bad seeds. That's exactly what they are doing to Israel and Israelis, don't you see? Come on.
Who cares? these leftists even contemplated this blatant discrimination and anti-Semitism. When the Arbs start to cover the scenery with Mosques like in London and France and they have to wear veilds they will realize it its too late. Shame on Norway for even besmirching the name of Israel. U socialists , leftists deserve the end u will get from your future Islamic citizens all over Europe
Israel: Leader of Business Innovation http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1311023934&play=1