Norway considers up to 3 years in prison for trade with Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria

Norway is considering legislation that could impose up to three years in prison for trading with Israeli Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, internationally known as the West Bank, as Oslo continues its increasingly confrontational policy toward Israel.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide announced the proposed legislation on Monday, arguing that deteriorating conditions in Judea and Samaria have strengthened the case for the measure. The proposal could potentially go further than a similar British trade measure announced recently, including Israeli neighborhoods in East Jerusalem.

“The arguments [in support of the bill] have only become stronger because the situation in the West Bank has become even worse. In addition, so many other countries are now doing the same thing the government has already proposed through this bill,” Eide said in an interview with the Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

The Israeli Embassy in Oslo condemned the proposed legislation. Norway’s announcement comes after the British government recently imposed trade sanctions against Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. Israel responded by closing the British consulate in Jerusalem as tensions between the two countries continued to deteriorate.

Following London’s announcement, Norway joined Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Ireland and Spain in issuing a joint statement opposing Israeli communities in the disputed territories.

Eide also accused Israel of attempting to silence international criticism by labeling critics as antisemites.

“Israel has become far too accustomed to being able to intimidate Western countries by saying they were antisemites if they criticized Israel for abuses and violations of international law. Now the [protective cover] that Israel has in many ways enjoyed is gone,” Eide argued.

Much of the international community considers Israeli Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria to be “illegal settlements on occupied land.” Israel disputes that position, arguing that the territory has deep Jewish historical and ancestral ties and that its final legal and political status remains disputed.

The Norwegian proposal could potentially go further than the British measure. London has not specified whether Jewish communities in East Jerusalem would be included as settlements, while the Norwegian trade ban reportedly would include Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem that are part of Israel’s capital.

Eide acknowledged that trade between Norway and the Israeli communities in question is limited. “The goods in question include, for example, wine and some agricultural products,” he said.

However, the Norwegian foreign minister argued that the proposed ban is primarily a matter of principle.

“If the largest countries do not stand up for international law, human rights, and international law, then the rest of us will have to do it,” Eide said, likely referring to the United States.

Norway has emerged as one of Israel’s most vocal critics in Europe. In May 2024, Norway joined Spain and Ireland in unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian state, just months after the Hamas Oct. 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 251 people from southern Israel.

At the time, Eide said, “For more than 30 years, Norway has been one of the strongest advocates for a Palestinian state. Today, when Norway officially recognizes Palestine as a state, is a milestone in the relationship between Norway and Palestine.”

The Israeli government condemned the decision as a de facto diplomatic reward for the Oct. 7 massacre, which it described as the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

Antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiment has also drawn increasing attention in Norway since the Oct. 7 attacks. In May, a Norwegian university professor of Middle Eastern descent praised the massacre of Israeli civilians, including women and children, as the “most beautiful thing this century.”

Norwegian officials have largely rejected accusations of antisemitism, arguing that the country’s policies toward Israel are based on international law and human rights.