With Israel for Peace (Norwegian : Med Israel for fred, MIFF) is a Norwegian pro-Israel organisation. It styles itself as a "non-religious, non-partisan pro-Israel organisation", and has more than 11,000 registered members as of 2017. [1] A main concern of the organisation is what it sees as a negative bias towards Israel in mainstream Norwegian media coverage. [1] The director of the organisation is Conrad Myrland, and the president is Morten Fjell Rasmussen. [1]
MIFF was founded in 1978. Since then it has grown substantially from 1,200 members in 2005, to more than 11,000 as of 2017. [1] In January 2009, during the Gaza War, a peaceful rally by MIFF was attacked amid violent anti-Israel riots in Oslo. [2] By early 2014 MIFF had more than twice as many members as the main pro-Palestine organisation in Norway, the Palestine Committee of Norway. [3]
In July 2014, amid the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, the organisation accused Mads Gilbert of lying about Israel, and put ads in Norwegian newspapers debunking claims made by Gilbert. [4] The organisation was itself accused of stirring up television viewer storms against NRK reporter Sidsel Wold [5] and TV 2 reporter Fredrik Græsvik. [6] In August 2014 MIFF held a rally with up to 600 people in Oslo, with speakers including members of parliament Hans Fredrik Grøvan and Kristian Norheim. [7] [8] The organisation received a record 900.000 kr in gifts and membership fees during the month of August 2014. [9] Notable members of MIFF includes retired football player Anders Rambekk, [10] member of parliament Erlend Wiborg, [11] and former member of parliament Hallgrim Berg. [12]
In 2015 MIFF became a co-founding member of the European Alliance for Israel, which included delegates from fifteen European countries, of which MIFF was the largest group by membership. [13] [14]
In October 2023, amid the 2023 Israel–Hamas war about 500 people attended a rally in Oslo arranged by MIFF. Among the speakers were politicians such as Progress Party leader Sylvi Listhaug. [15]
Maria Viktoria Mena is a Norwegian pop singer, best known for her singles such as "You're the Only One", "Just Hold Me", "All This Time" which charted in multiple countries.
Vidar Sveinung Kleppe is a Norwegian politician. He was a member of parliament and deputy leader of the Progress Party until he was suspended and left the party in 2001. He was the founder and leader of the Democrats party from 2002 to 2012, and has since 2003 held public office as a member of the Vest-Agder county council and the Kristiansand municipal council.
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Hanne Stine Nabintu Herland is a Norwegian author, who hosts a website and Youtube channel both named the Herland Report. She has a master's degree in history of religions from the University of Oslo.
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Sigrid Giskegjerde Schjetne was a Norwegian teenager who disappeared from the streets of suburban Oslo while walking in the early hours of Sunday, 5 August 2012.
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