# Norway proposes jail for West Bank business dealings

> New legislation could imprison citizens for up to three years for trading with Israeli settlements.
- Title: Norway proposes jail for West Bank business dealings
- Summary: New legislation could imprison citizens for up to three years for trading with Israeli settlements. Norway's proposed law would criminalize business with…
- Keywords: norway, west bank, israel, settlements, espen barth eide, danny danon, judea and samaria, palestinian state, trade restrictions, international law, two-state solution, dag juliussen
- Source: Fox News — https://foxnews.com/world/norway-faces-backlash-over-deeply-racist-proposal-jail-citizens-west-bank-business
- Author: Ariella Noveck
- Published: 2026-09-15T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: norway, west bank, israel, settlements, espen barth eide, danny danon, judea and samaria, palestinian state, trade restrictions, international law, two-state solution, dag juliussen
## Prison for West Bank trade
Norway proposes jailing citizens up to three years for knowingly doing business with Israeli communities in the West Bank.
## What the law would ban
The proposal would prohibit importing goods from Israeli settlements and exporting goods to them. It would also restrict real estate deals and investments.
## Penalties for violations
Intentional violations could bring fines, three years in prison, or both. Even negligent violations could mean six months behind bars.
## Israel calls it hostile
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon condemned the proposal as obsessive anti-Israel activism that damages relations and encourages rejectionism.

> Norway's proposal to criminalize trade with Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria is the latest expression of their obsessive and openly hostile policy toward Israel.
## Norway's legal justification
Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide says Israeli settlements violate international law and undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

> Norwegian citizens and Norwegian companies must not profit from or support activities that help sustain Israel's unlawful settlement activity in Palestine.
## Exemptions for Palestinians
The law would exempt humanitarian work and transactions with sufficient Palestinian ties that don't help build or expand Israeli communities.
## Critics call it racist
Dag Juliussen of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem says the exemptions would permit business with Palestinians while criminalizing the same deals with Jews.

> Such a law would effectively serve as a reward for terrorism and, at its core, is deeply racist toward Jews.
## Identity as the deciding factor
Buying produce from Muslim, Christian or Arab residents could be legal, while buying identical products from Jewish residents could become criminal.
## Norway's shift on Israel
Norway recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 and has become one of Israel's strongest European critics since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
## Key takeaway

Norway's proposed law would criminalize business with Israeli West Bank settlements, with penalties up to three years in prison.