“The glorification of mass murder and terrorism may be perceived as an encouragement or incitement to commit similar criminal acts against Jews,” writes On Elpeleg in his police report against NTNU Professor Bassam Hussein.
The report was submitted to the Trøndelag Police District on Tuesday evening.
On Elpeleg is originally from Israel and has lived in Bergen for more than 30 years. (Photo: Private)
Elpeleg, who is Jewish and lost half of his family during the Second World War, reports Hussein for violating three sections of the Penal Code:
- Section 185 – Hate speech
- Section 183 – Incitement to commit a criminal offence
- Section 108 – Incitement to commit, or conspiracy to commit, genocide or crimes against humanity
According to Elpeleg, Hussein’s statement during a lecture in Trondheim that the 2023 terrorist attack in Israel was “the most beautiful thing that has happened in our century” promotes “hatred, persecution or contempt towards Jews as a group on the grounds of religion and ethnic origin”.
Attempted genocide
“To describe the massacre of Jewish civilians as ‘the most beautiful thing’ in our century is a gross devaluation of the victims’ human dignity and a glorification of terrorism and attempted genocide.
According to the report, the statement may be regarded as a justification of attempted genocide, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment.
NB: Distressing images. Arab terrorists attack and kill Israeli civilians in the kibbutz area of Mefalsim, near the Gaza border. (Surveillance video/Wikipedia)
According to Elpeleg’s legal assessment, the glorification of terrorism carries a maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment.
“Norway bears a particular historical and moral responsibility to prevent antisemitism and new attempts at genocide against Jews, precisely because Jews have already experienced genocide on Norwegian soil. The Norwegian authorities therefore have an additional responsibility to prevent such glorification of terrorism and mass murder from spreading in the public sphere,” Elpeleg writes.
In the report, he points out that Hussein’s statement was made publicly and refers to the recording that has been posted on YouTube.
The attack is recognised as an attempted genocide and the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Its aim was to kill as many Jews as possible in Israel. Approximately 1,300 civilians were killed, several hundred were taken hostage, and many of the victims were tortured and raped.
The statement was made publicly.
“I request that the matter be investigated and that criminal liability be assessed. I am willing to provide a statement,” writes Elpeleg, who identifies himself as an administrator of the Facebook group StoppNRK.
Reputational problem
Tor Grande, Rector of NTNU. (Photo: Private)
The Bassam Hussein affair appears to be developing into a reputational problem for NTNU and its Rector, Tor Grande. Yesterday, Eytan Halon, chargé d’affaires at the Israeli Embassy in Oslo, sent a letter to Grande expressing concern for the safety of Jewish students at NTNU.
It was also Halon who commented on the case on X after Document wrote about it on 1 May, which in turn led to The Jerusalem Post picking it up.
The latest to weigh in is Kjetil Rolness, who sums up the case on Substack.
“Hussein delivered a well-prepared lecture full of notions that ought to have remained in the sewer,” Rolness believes.
“The antisemitism expressed by Hussein is, to a considerable extent, acceptable among large sections of the political left, not only its far-left wing.”
Letter from Eytan Halon, chargé d’affaires at the Israeli Embassy in Oslo, to NTNU Rector Tor Grande.
NTNU professor on the October 7 Pogrom: “The most beautiful thing that has happened”
NTNU professor’s glorification of terror to be debated in parliament