‘Bombed back to the prewar period’

Jewish reactions to anti-Zionism in Norway, 1967–1982

Authors

• Noa Ben David University College London https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4506-8414

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30752/nj.143739

Keywords:

Antisemitism in Norway, Jewish reactions to antisemitism, Anti-Zionism in Norway, Jewish integration in Scandinavia

Abstract

This study analyses Jewish reactions to anti-Zionism in Norway, from the 1967 Six-Day War to the 1982 Israel–Lebanon War, focusing on the shifting political climate towards Israel. Using archival records, press materials and interviews with Jewish community activists, it explores how they defined and countered antisemitism in relation to Israel’s legitimacy. Applying Stuart Hall’s representations theory, and Benedict Anderson’s imagined communities, the study shows how solidarity with Israel marked an additional sense of belonging, giving its defenders agency and something to fight for. As Norwegians, activists asserted inclusion in the national community by opposing antisemitism and defending democratic values. As Zionists, they subscribed to a group that was being attacked and needed defending. The study finds that methods used to combat anti-Zionism resembled those employed against antisemitism. Yet attempts to discredit anti-Zionism failed, furthering the confusion on the boundaries of antisemitism.