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Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) Executive Director of European Affairs Shannon Seban visited Norway this week for a series of work meetings and speaking appearances.
Seban participated in a panel on Thursday at Norway’s largest annual political gathering, “Arendalsuka 2026.” Attended by elected officials, NGO representatives, academics, researchers, and business figures, the five-day forum — held in the southern Norwegian city of Arendal — aims to “strengthen the belief in political empowerment and democracy through open debate and involvement.”
Seban joined a discussion, hosted by Kos & Kaos — The Nordic Jewish Network, titled “Between Criticism and Hostility: Jewish Experiences in a Polarized Time.” Other panelists included Ester Næstad, co-founder of Kos & Kaos and Compass North, and Shany Mor, lecturer in political thought at Reichman University and senior researcher at the Britain Israel Communications and Research Center (BICOM).
In her remarks, Seban emphasized the need for a “whole-of-society response to contemporary antisemitism, involving governments, law enforcement, the judiciary, education systems, local elected officials, and civil society.”
She also highlighted the evolving forms of antisemitism today, including “when anti-Zionism crosses into antisemitism, the distortion and instrumentalization of the Holocaust, and the political exploitation of antisemitic narratives.”
“Europe stands at a crossroads, where it must choose between silence and action,” Seban added.
A full recording of the panel discussion can be viewed HERE.
In Oslo, the Norwegian capital, Seban met with Øystein Lyngroth, Norway’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A focus of the dialogue was Norway’s national action plan against antisemitism and its implementation at all levels of society.
In Oslo, Seban met with *Øystein Lyngroth, Norway’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to discuss the country’s “Action Plan Against Antisemitism 2025–2030,” that was presented in November 2024. The plan includes 22 measures focused on education, combating disinformation, strengthening police expertise on hate crime, protecting Jewish communities, and fostering dialogue and democratic resilience.
The discussion also addressed Norway’s approach to preventing radicalization and violent extremism, shaped by the 2011 far-right terrorist attacks in Oslo and Utøya, the 2019 attack on the Al-Noor Mosque in Bærum, and the Islamist terrorist attack in Oslo in 2022.
🙏🇳🇴 Merci à Øystein Lyngroth, Représentant spécial pour la liberté de religion au ministère norvégien des Affaires étrangères, pour nos échanges constructifs et inspirants sur le rôle essentiel du dialogue interreligieux dans la lutte contre toutes les formes de discrimination,… pic.twitter.com/VxPV6rjx21
— Shannon Seban (@ShannonSeban) August 13, 2026
Seban also met with members of Oslo Mayor Anne Lindboe’s office, offering CAM’s recommendations as the city works on its new “2026–2030 Action Plan Against Hate, Prejudice and Discrimination.”
“Cities are often where antisemitism is experienced most directly, and therefore where national commitments must become concrete policies — through education, prevention, support for affected communities and effective responses to hate,” Seban said.
🤝🇳🇴 Rencontre avec les équipes de la maire d’Oslo Anne Lindboe, pour partager nos recommandations et contribuer à la réflexion autour du nouveau plan municipal 2026-2030 contre l’antisémitisme, le racisme et les discriminations, actuellement en préparation.
Une conviction : les… pic.twitter.com/wKaXp3jyVu
— Shannon Seban (@ShannonSeban) August 12, 2026
Another meeting Seban held while in Norway was with former parliament member Sivert Bjørnstad, who represented Sør-Trøndelag for the Progress Party from 2013 to 2025.
The exchange centered on political responses to rising antisemitism and polarization in Norway and across Europe and on the importance of ensuring the fight against Jew-hatred remained a cross-party democratic responsibility.
“This visit to Norway marks another step in CAM’s growing engagement across the Nordic countries,” Seban said. “By engaging with national authorities, municipalities, political leaders and civil society, we are deepening our understanding of the challenges on the ground, building stronger partnerships and identifying concrete approaches that can strengthen the fight against antisemitism and extremism across the region.”
