Norway moves to criminalize trade with Israeli settlers
Proposal would ban commercial dealings with settlements in occupied Palestinian territories and impose prison terms of up to three years
OSLO, Norway (MNTV) — Norway is moving toward criminalizing trade with Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, proposing prison sentences of up to three years for individuals and entities that violate the ban.
The legislation would cover Israeli settlements in the West Bank and 14 settlements in occupied East Jerusalem, where Israel has entrenched its control over Palestinian land despite broad international opposition to the settlement enterprise.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the measure responds to worsening abuses against Palestinians and follows similar steps by European countries.
The proposed law would prohibit imports from and exports to the settlements, while also restricting real estate purchases, construction-related services and the acquisition of businesses based or producing goods there.
Violations would carry criminal liability, with penalties including imprisonment.
Norwegian authorities said the policy is intended to prevent Norwegian citizens and companies from financially supporting settlements that international rights organizations have repeatedly declared unlawful.
The government said settlement expansion, displacement, and settler violence are undermining the possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state.
Eide said Israel has for years faced limited consequences when Western governments criticized its policies, arguing that accusations of antisemitism had often been used to discourage scrutiny of alleged violations of international law.
He said that political protection was now weakening as more governments move toward restrictions on settlement-linked trade.
Norway’s proposed legislation comes as European governments increasingly challenge Israel’s settlement policies, which have expanded Palestinian displacement and deepened territorial fragmentation in the occupied West Bank.
Norway joined several countries backing stronger measures against settlement-related commerce.
The bill will undergo public consultation until Sept. 19 before being submitted for a parliamentary vote. Norway recognized the State of Palestine in 2024.
Israel’s Embassy in Oslo condemned the proposal, accusing Eide of pursuing what it described as an anti-Israel campaign.
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