TEL AVIV, September 14, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli media reported that the Norwegian government, alongside ten other nations, is pushing for unprecedented legislation that would impose prison sentences on entities and individuals trading in products from settlements established in the West Bank.

The newspaper *Israel Hayom* reported that Norway and ten other Western countries are preparing to impose sanctions and enact laws criminalizing trade with West Bank settlements, citing reports and statements by Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.

Under the proposal currently before the government in Oslo, citizens or companies engaging in commercial dealings with firms based in the West Bank could face up to three years in prison.

The Norwegian Foreign Minister expressed optimism that the law would be passed by parliament this coming autumn, noting that "lawmakers are facing increasing pressure to respond to the deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territories."

He added that the United States' response to this move was "surprisingly mild," a reaction he views as signaling a significant decline in Israel's political standing and the immunity it previously enjoyed.

K.T