Norway is preparing a bill that will impose prison sentences of up to three years for individuals or companies that trade with the illegal settlements erected by Israel in Palestine, namely in the West Bank. The Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, presented the outlines of the proposal, which will be reviewed by the Norwegian parliament this autumn and which is based on the prohibition of trade with these settlements, covering goods, services and construction-related activities. Eide described the measure as "the lowest rung of sanctions that can be imposed against the occupation," noting that the situation in the West Bank has worsened and that several other countries are adopting similar measures.
Trade with the settlements is relatively limited, mainly involving wine and agricultural products. Eide said the measure is part of a broader international initiative aimed at more forceful actions regarding Israeli settlements, which grow daily and are defended by the far-right elements that are part of Benjamin Netanyahu's government. The proposed prohibition would also cover East Jerusalem, which Israel considers part of its capital.
The United Kingdom has already adopted restrictions on purchasing products from these settlements. Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden are preparing measures in the same vein. In response, Israel announced last week the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem in response to plans by the United Kingdom, France and Canada to block imports from the settlements.
The Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, warned that the expansion of illegal settlements and the growing economic pressure in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are eroding the prospects of a viable Palestinian state. Rangel said the E1 settlement plan is "extremely pernicious" because it would divide the West Bank and is incompatible with a two-state solution. His statements came after a meeting with the Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Varsen Shahin, on the first official visit to Portugal following the formal recognition of the State of Palestine.
