Oslo: European countries are reportedly advancing plans to impose severe penalties, including prison sentences of up to 10 years, on individuals and companies engaged in trade with Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land. This information comes from an Israeli media report suggesting significant legal changes across several European nations regarding their trade policies with these settlements.
According to Anadolu Agency, Israel's Channel 7 has revealed that Norway is actively preparing a legal framework aimed at boycotting products from these settlements. The proposed legislation includes potential prison sentences of up to three years for those found in violation. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide expressed confidence that the Norwegian parliament would approve the draft law, emphasizing that the situation in the West Bank has intensified the urgency for such measures.
The report also highlights that the Netherlands is working on similar legislation, which could result in penalties of up to six years in prison. A forthcoming Dutch decision is expected to ban the import, purchase, or sale of goods from these illegal settlements, taking effect on September 22.
In Britain, Channel 7 reports that the penalty for engaging in commercial dealings with settlements could reach up to 10 years in prison. These initiatives are part of a broader move by 12 Western countries-France, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden-who announced their intention to impose restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements.
These countries have collectively urged Israel to halt settlement expansion and violence by occupiers, asserting that these measures are crucial to protect the two-state solution, oppose the annexation of Palestinian land, and ensure accountability for violence.
The announcement follows an Israeli decision to offer tenders for the construction of approximately 1,200 settlement units in the E1 area, a move that has been criticized internationally for its potential to disrupt territorial continuity between parts of the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux stated that France supports a European Union-wide ban on trade with Israeli illegal settlements. Meanwhile, Amnesty International has described the decision by Britain and other countries to ban such trade as necessary, albeit overdue.
From the Palestinian perspective, Fatah Central Committee member Mohammad Shtayyeh welcomed the announcement as an 'important step.' However, he called for further actions against the settlement project and the state backing it, arguing that Israel is increasingly isolated diplomatically.
Israeli media has reported that some products from illegal settlements have been falsely labeled as originating from within Israel's 1948 borders to circumvent European bans. Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli daily, described the announcement by the 12 countries as a 'diplomatic setback and a resounding failure' for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which has approved numerous new settlements since late 2022.
The United Nations considers the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as occupied Palestinian territory, and asserts that Israeli settlements there are illegal under international law. Palestinians warn that Israel's settlement expansion and associated actions threaten the viability of a future Palestinian state.