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August 28, 2006
Irony, thy name is Indonesia
Apparently, if one pretends to be something other than a Jew, doors that are otherwise closed may be opened.
Former [Israeli member of Parliament] and Haaretz journalist Yossi Sarid has declined an official offer from the Norwegian government to grant him citizenship so he can attend an international conference on freedom of expression and tolerance in Bali, Indonesia. His invitation was rescinded because he is Israeli.
Three months ago, Sarid was invited by the Norwegian foreign ministry to attend the Global Inter-Media Dialog in Bali, which is being co-sponsored by the prime minister of Norway and the president of Indonesia. Sarid was among 60 journalists invited to take part in the conference, whose stated goal is "bridging gaps between different religions, cultures and peoples."
However, three weeks ago the Norwegian embassy in Israel informed Sarid that Indonesia refuses to grant him a visa "in the existing circumstances." According to Sarid, the Norwegian foreign ministry assured him that a solution would be found since Norway considers it "a matter of principle."
On Friday the Norwegians offered their solution: Sarid could travel to Indonesia on a Norwegian passport.On Saturday, Sarid rejected the offer in a letter addressed to the Indonesian president and Norwegian prime minister.
"I almost fell out of my chair with astonishment," wrote Sarid in reference to the offer. "The more thought I gave to the offer, the angrier I became? I have no other country and I have no other nationality. No self-respecting person in the world, no person who respects his nationality, would accept such a twisted offer."
Honestly, in my lifetime I've never seen such undisguised anti-semitism. And the complacency of the liberal Jewish intelligentsia reminds me of nothing so much as the Germans who believed that their assimilation was so complete, Western Civilization's culture so advanced, that the rantings of the Austrian paperhanger could be safely dismissed as mere campaign claptrap.
Well, we all know how that turned out.
Kudos to Mr. Sarid for having the courage to tell the Norwegians and the Indonesians what they can do with their "solution."
He called on the other journalists to cancel their participation in the conference; wanna make another bet? Did anyone else refuse to attend?
I didn't thinks so.
Posted by Mike Lief at August 28, 2006 08:37 AM
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