A number of outlets have reported that Norway’s pension fund divested its shares of the Israeli technology firm, Elbit. It’s true,as Yaacov Lozowick points out that Norway had divested from a lot of companies ( e.g. Boeing for helping build nuclear weapons; Wal-Mart for Child Labor)
But does this absolve Norway – as Yaacov argues – from the charge of antisemitism? The decision was announced by the Finance Ministry, which is headed by Kristin Halvorsen, who heads Norway Socialist Left party. Halvorsen’s record towards the Middle East indicates that more tahn just sanctimony is in play.
Dormant Norwegian blogger Secular Blasphemy noted in January 2006:
Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen, on the other hand, has just publicly encouraged a total boycott of Israeli goods and services. The foreign department was not informed about this before the campaign hit the press, and was forced to send an official letter to the Israeli embassy to inform them this is not the policy of the Norwegian government. Just one antisemitic minister who believed she could run her own foreign policy.:
Norway’s government (not just Halvorsen) also chose not to treat Hamas as a terrorist group. Mabye it’s sanctimony, or maybe the Norwegian government’s been itching to stick it to Israel for quite a while now.
Actions like this only encourage terrorists and their supporters.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
