1. Israel and the Norwegian media:
MIFF has for a long time documented one-sidedness, over-coverage and factual errors in the Norwegian media’s coverage of Israel. The news agency NTB and NRK in particular have excelled. Much of the criticism is gathered in the book The False Image of Israel – which you can order in MIFF’s online store. In 2021, NRK’s host Shaun Henrik Matheson made hate speech against Israel and the Jews on his own radio program. The feature had no consequences for Matheson. Norway’s largest Christian children’s and youth organization is in favor of a broad economic boycott of Israel.
These are just a few examples of Israel’s opponents in Norway. See also the overview of which individuals have done the most to create the false image of Israel. Former Prime Minister Kåre Willoch has claimed that “no one is proving anything wrong” in what he says about Israel and the Middle East. But MIFF’s word-for-word review of his lectures shows a lot wrong – distortions, factual errors and anachronisms.
2. Hate of Jews:
Anti-Semitism has deep historical roots in Europe. Even in Arab countries, Jews have been systematically discriminated against and persecuted. 60 years ago it was approx. one million Jews throughout the Arab world – now there are less than five thousand left. The Arab world did not have, and does not have, room for its Jews to live in peace, freedom and dignity. The tiny area that Israel consists of (about 1/15 of Norway, less than 0.2% of the Arab area) is what the Jewish people have regained after being expelled from a large number of countries.
3. Israeli settlements:
Israel’s settlements in the West Bank are illegal and a violation of international law, it is claimed. The settlements are also often portrayed as the biggest obstacle to peace between Israelis and Palestinians. If international law is applied fairly, there is no basis for saying that the settlements are illegal. Facts show that the Israeli settlements are not the biggest obstacle to peace either. The Israeli residential and agricultural areas in the West Bank cover only 2.7 percent of the area. Read more on the theme page.
What you need to know about Israeli settlements.
- Gaza War 2021
After a long period of relative calm, there was a sharp escalation in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in the spring of 2021. In the run-up to Ramadan, the Palestinian Authority intensified its insurgency in the official media, and in April and early May there were increasingly violent episodes and terrorist attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. On Monday, May 10, the Hamas regime plunged into conflict with rocket attacks on Jerusalem. Read more on the theme page about the war.
4. Palestine:
Palestine is a geographical indication of an area along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. Palestine is a name that has never existed in any state. Palestinian authorities do not meet the requirements of a state under international law, and unilateral Norwegian recognition of the “state of Palestine” will undermine international law and the Oslo Accords.
- The people of Israel:
Israel’s population is about 9.4 million (2021). About 74 percent are Jews, 18 percent Muslims, 2 percent Christians, and 1.6 percent Druze. 4.4 percent are classified as others. These are often people who identify with the Jewish majority population, but who for various reasons are not registered as Jews in the population register.
- Jerusalem and Tel Aviv
The capital and largest city of Israel is Jerusalem. The city has been the center of the national and religious dreams of the Jewish people for the past three thousand years. What exactly is the Muslim connection to the city, and when did the Palestinians first demand Jerusalem as their capital? Tel Aviv is Israel’s second largest city. There are over three million people living in the entire metropolitan area. Tel Aviv is a leader in economics and technology, with the Middle East’s largest economy per capita.