Israeli Ambassador Earns Norway's Ire By Criticizing Royals
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - Israel's ambassador to Norway ignited anger in the Nordic country on Tuesday after she criticized the popular royal family for failing to publicly sympathize with local Jews amid rising anti-Semitism. Ambassador Miryam Shomrat was summoned by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, where her televised comments the night before were slammed as "unsuitable" in a country where the royal family enjoys wall-to-wall support. Even Norway's small Jewish community rushed to distance itself from Shomrat's remarks. Anne Sender, leader of the Mosaic Religious Community, told Aftenposten, "She can of course say what she wants, but she cannot talk on our behalf. We would never have dreamed of taking a stand against the royal family." In an interview with state television broadcast Monday night, Shomrat took issue with King Harald V for not making some gesture toward Norway's 1,300 Jews after the main synagogue in Oslo was attacked by masked assailants last week. "A gesture from the royal household last Friday under the Jewish New Year's celebration would have been appropriate," Shomrat said. "It would especially have been a sign of solidarity from the royal family if they had come to the synagogue after it was fired on." Speaking to Reuters, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere insisted it is not the responsibility of the royal family |
