Norway state-owned radio morning-show host pejoratively refers to “God’s chosen people” in on-air rant

A host on Norway’s state-owned broadcaster went on an antisemitic rant on live radio referring pejoratively to Israel as “God’s chosen people”.

In a segment on 3rd February in which morning-show host Shaun Henrik Matheson said that “We must never forget what a s***ty country Israel is”, he also said: “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.”

Mr Matheson’s hostility toward the Jewish state was such that he admitted that he “almost wished” the COVID-19 vaccine, which Israel is distributing more rapidly than any other country, had not worked.

As NRK’s Broadcasting Council prepared to meet, its Secretary, Erik Skarrud, revealed that 527 communications had been received regarding the programme, an overwhelming majority of which were critical and complaints. Very few were supportive, he said: “you can probably count those on one hand.”

Complaints against Mr Matheson have also been filed with the Norwegian police. “It is time to close down NRK,” said Norwegian parliamentarian, Per-Willy Amundsen of the Progress Party. Asserting that the broadcaster was a “front for the hatred of Jews,” Mr Amundsen urged that NRK be downsized and sold. Privatisation was “the best solution,” he said.

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