Norway proposes up to three years jail for trade with Israeli settlements

The Norwegian government is preparing a law that would allow courts to impose sentences of up to three years' imprisonment on anyone who trades with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The proposal, authored by the Utenriksdepartementet, is motivated by a perceived increase in violence by settlers against Palestinians. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told reporters the legislation is likely to be approved by the Storting later this year and serves as a strong political signal.

He added that Norwegian commercial activity with the settlements is minimal, underscoring the symbolic intent. The move has drawn an unexpected reaction from the United States, which has not previously halted similar initiatives by other Western nations.