Center Urges King Harald to Withdraw Award
The Simon Wiesenthal Center condemned King Harald of Norway and his Palace staff for their decision to award a royal service medal to TrondAli Linstad (pictured), an activist who has created day care programs for Muslim children but who has also stirred controversy by criticizing 
the Jewish community and spreading conspiracy theories of Jewish world domination. Through his website, Koranen.no, Linstad warns his readers to “beware the Jews,” and the “influence they have in newspapers and other media, in many political organs” to further theirinterest in expanding Israeli territory. One Oslo anti-racism organization has called Linstad’s views “one of the worst collective attacks on Jews…”
“This shocking award is not only insulting to Jews, but potentially dangerous as well, said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of theWiesenthal Center, adding, “Perhaps the King is unaware that young Norwegian Jews are bullied by their classmates and that in France the very same conspiratorial worldview of the all-powerful Jewcontributes to violent and sometimes deadly attacks on Jewish citizens.”
“Make no mistake, whatever the motivation, the impact of Norway's king awarding a bigot who wraps his Jew-hatred in theological garb, will beto further mainstream anti-Semitism in your country and beyond,” said Cooper, concluding, “Is it too much to ask that the King acknowledge an error and judgment?”
Since the controversy has hit, Oslo Mayor Fabian Stang has refused to award the medal and the public ceremony was postponed due to securityconcerns. It is still not known if the Royal Palace will withdraw the award.
During a recent visit to Oslo, the Wiesenthal Center launched “Norway Watch”, an initiative to track anti-Semitism in Norway as well as the support for the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott,Divestment and Sanction) Movements in the Scandinavian nation. “Norway, may be a small nation, but it has an oversized impact on the international community and global human rights,” Centerofficials explained. “Frankly, instances of anti-Semitism in Norway have damaged Norway's international reputation,” they added.
For more information, please contact the Center's Public Relations Department, 310-553-9036, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updatessent direct to your Twitter page or mobile device.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in theUnited States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).
