Shaun Henrik Matheson is a radio host at NRK P13, a digital music channel run the Norwegian state broadcaster NRK. Tuesday 2 February he served the following antisemitic, Israel-hating rant to his listeners [see Spanish translation below]:
“Jeez, well, we had better mention the good news, even if they come from Israel (laughs). I know, how sick is this? Good news from Israel, when did that happen last time? Do you know what, I don’t know actually. But we have read about this all day today and heard it just now on the radio news.
However, both the newspapers and the radio news forgot something important, or didn’t mention it, something we should never forget: Israel is an occupying power, an apartheid regime, where some people are more worth than others, and where these “others” are subjected to systematic oppression, their land are stolen from them and their water and electricity will be cut if they step out of line. And if some homemade rocket should land somewhere over the God’s chosen people, then terrible actions of revenge are committed where thousands of people are killed, often children.
Could there really be good news from this country? In a way, yes. In a way, but only if we think about ourselves and forget about all the abuse and murders the Israelis perpetrate against the Palestinian people.
So apparently, numbers from Israel show that among more than 1 million fully vaccinated persons, less than 1000 were infected. No matter how you twist and turn it, these are good news. Only I wish it was from another country, if you get what I mean. It’s almost as though I wish the vaccine didn’t work. You cannot say that. I’m sorry, I do understand that. Damn it.
Did I say apartheid? I did, didn’t I. Just to underline it: In the beginning no Palestinian got any vaccine, 14 days ago, they got 100, yesterday they got 2000. 1.1 million “proper” people got their vaccine, 2.100 of the less proper people got their vaccine.
We must just never forget just what a shitty country Israel is, it’s desperately important that we never forget. We must never forget what a shitty country Israel is!”
This full transcript, in Norwegian, was published by Med Israel for fred (MIFF) around 80 minutes later. MIFFs report, and other reactions, stirred a publish outcry, with hundreds of complaints both in social media and directly to NRK within a few hours, forcing NRK editors to deal with the case in a meeting the same evening.
NRK decided to remove the radio item from their archive, but the editor in charge says that the incident will have no consequences for the radio host.
MIFF secured recording of the antisemitic rant and published it on YouTube. We will make a formal complaint to NRK and are considering to the report the case to the police for hateful expressions.
Med Israel for fred (MIFF) – With Israel for peace – was formed in the 1970s, and have since grown to more than 11.000 members. 27 European nations have a larger population than Norway, yet this is where you find Europe’s largest non-religious pro-Israel membership organization. Read more about MIFF.
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The following translation in Spanish is not verified by MIFF.
Madre mío, bueno no queda otra, debemos mencionar las buenes noticias, a pesar de que son de Israel…. (El conductor del programa se ríe). Que loco está esto! Buenas noticias de Israel, cuando fue la última vez? Sabes que? No tengo la menor idea. Pero lo hemos leído en los diarios de hoy, y recién escuchábamos acá en la radio, en las noticias.
Pero tanto los diarios como las noticias del radio olvidaron algo muy importante, o ignoraron mencionarlo: Israel es un poder ocupante, es un regimen de apartheid, donde alguna gente vale mas que otros, y donde ellos son sistemáticamente sumergidos a opresión, sus tierras robados, donde se les cortan agua y electricidad si ellos no se portan bien. Y si algún cohete bien casero aterriza en algún lugar sobre el pueblo elegido, se implementara un terrible acción de venganza donde se matan miles de personas, y por qué no niños también. ¿Puede ser que haya buenas noticias de este país? Si, de alguna manera. De alguna manera, y solamente si pensamos solamente en nosotros y olvidemos todas las transgresiones y asesinatos que los israelíes hacen contra el pueblo palestino. Aparentemente muestran los números de Israel , que entre los mas de un million de personas completamente vacunados, menos de mil personas de contagiaron. No importa cómo se ve, esto sí son buenas noticias. Solamente desearía que los números fueron de otro lugar, si me entendés. Es como casi deseo que la vacuna no funciona. Esto no se puede decir. Entendido, lamentablemente. Carajo! Dije apartheid? Sí, lo dije! Y, para subrayar: Al principio ningún palestino recibió la vacuna. Hace dos semanas, 100 personas recibieron la vacuna, y ayer fueron 2000. 1.1 million personas de las buenas personas fueron vacunados, 2100 de los menos buenos personas fueron vacunados. Debemos nunca olvidar que país de mierda Israel es. Es insanamente importante nunca olvidar. Debemos nunca olvidar que Israel es un país de mierda.