Norway’s government announced on Friday that it is opening a public consultation on a new bill that would ban trade with Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, which Oslo says are illegal under international law. Under the proposal, violating the law could carry criminal liability.
The Foreign Ministry said the bill would prohibit importing goods made in the settlements and exporting goods to them. It would also bar Norwegian citizens and companies from buying real estate in the settlements, providing services related to construction, renovation, purchase or sale of property there, or buying companies whose headquarters and factories are located in the settlements.
Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said, “The Israeli settlements in Palestine violate international law. They contribute to displacement, extreme violence and a situation that makes a peace solution impossible. Through the bill, the government makes clear that Norwegian citizens and companies cannot profit from or support activities that help sustain the settlement enterprise.” The government said the goal is to strengthen support for a two-state solution and prevent economic involvement in activity it says harms the creation of a future Palestinian state.
The government stressed that the proposal is not meant to affect legitimate Palestinian activity or humanitarian aid. The move comes after Norway and other countries imposed additional sanctions last week on settlers it described as “violent.” Eide said the situation in Judea and Samaria has become unbearable, saying, “Civilians are being killed, the economy is being choked and local communities are being destroyed.” The consultation will run until September 19, 2026, after which the government will decide whether to submit the bill to the Norwegian parliament. If approved, Norway would be among the first European countries to impose a broad legal ban on commercial and economic activity tied to Israeli settlements.
