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Saturday, January 07, 2006

 

Action Alert: Letter or Email to Kristin Halvorsen

(thanks to Marlene)

Please take a few moments to send a letter to Kristin Halvorsen, the Norwegian Finance Minister, who apparently has been intimidated into apologizing for asking Norweigian citizens to boycott Israeli producs. You can send your comments to her via email. I'm leaving the article as published in Ha'aretz today regarding her decision to "apologize." Please distribute widely.

Ministry of Finance
The Norwegian Ministry of Finance
P.O.Box 8008 Dep, NO-0030 Oslo, Norway
Visiting address: Akersgata 40, 0180 Oslo

E-mail: postmottak@finans.dep.no

My letter:

Dear Minister Halvorsen,

When I learned that Norwegians were supporting the boycott of Israel, I immediately sent a message to my dear Norwegian friend, Kristina, commending Norway's courageous action. It was a moment of exhilaration, that finally, a country was willing to speak truth to power.

It is my fervent hope that you will retract your apology and find your courage once again. When adults abdicate their responsibility to ensure justice, the onus is then placed upon Palestinian youth, too many who have been shot through the head and the heart for throwing stones at the tanks and bulldozers of one of the world's biggest military powers. A futile action, yes, but one that speaks volumes of the courage of the Palestinian children.

What is left to Palestinians, Ms. Halvorsen? Just yesterday, the people of Bil'in who have been engaged in non-violent protest against the Wall robbing them of their lands and livelihoods were leafleted by the Israeli occupation forces not to join the "inciters" who participate in the regular Friday demonstrations.

What is left for a people whose non-violent protests against land theft are met with stun grenades and rubber bullets? What is left for a people whose children's stones are met with sniper's bullets? What is left to a people who the world's governments have abandoned?

Sincerely yours,

Nancy Harb Almendras
Wiesbaden, Germany

Norwegian minister apologizes for call to boycott Israeli brands

By Haaretz Service

Norway's Finance minister Kristin Halvorsen on Friday evening publicly apologized for her earlier call on citizens to boycott Israeli products, Israel Radio reported on Saturday.

Halvorsen's call drew fierce criticism from Israel as well as Norway, with Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store sending his Israeli counterpart, Silvan Shalom a letter restating Norway's policy towards Israel.

Halvorsen's call "was made in her capacity as party leader of SV," one of the two parties which form the government together with the Labor Party, Store wrote.

"It has never been and will never be the position of the Norwegian government to advocate any such policy toward Israel. Norway is a friend of Israel based on long historic ties," he wrote.

Store sent a copy of the letter to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

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