Norway's foreign minister said the country is considering legislation that would criminalize trade with Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem, with violators facing up to three years in prison, according to reports.
Norway's foreign minister confirmed on Monday that Oslo is considering legislation that would impose up to three years in prison for trade with Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem. The bill, part of a 12-nation initiative to impose criminal sanctions on settlement-related commerce, was first reported by The Zioneer earlier this morning at 00:52 Jerusalem.
The Zioneer has been tracking this story since June 20, when Norway published a draft law banning trade with Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, opened for public consultation until September. At 00:52 Monday, detailed reports indicated the proposal is a coordinated effort among a dozen nations and would include prison terms for violators. Shortly thereafter, Israeli officials condemned the initiative as 'detached from reality,' as The Zioneer reported.
This measure fits a pattern of European pressure on Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. The Zioneer reported on July 3 that the Netherlands advanced a ban on goods from those areas plus the Golan Heights, with penalties up to six years in prison. On July 9, The Zioneer reported the European Union is considering a significant escalation in restrictions on settlement-related imports. Norway has long positioned itself as a leading European critic of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, often channeling funds to Palestinian NGOs and using diplomatic forums to apply pressure, as The Zioneer has documented.
The Norwegian bill remains under consideration; the timeline for a parliamentary vote and final passage has not yet been specified.
3 developments
Source and signal
- Open-source intake