OSLO, Norway โ Jewish leaders in Norway are warning that proposed legislation criminalizing certain forms of trade involving Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria is creating anxiety among Norwegian Jews, including fears that ordinary connections with Israel could attract scrutiny.
The proposal, introduced by Norwayโs Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June and currently undergoing public consultation, would prohibit imports from and exports to Israeli settlements, along with certain real-estate transactions, construction services and business acquisitions connected to them. The consultation period closes Sept. 19.
Intentional violations could carry penalties of up to three years in prison, while negligent violations could result in up to six months in prison, according to reporting on the proposal.
The Norwegian government says the legislation targets economic activity it considers supportive of settlements that violate international law and undermine prospects for a two-state solution. The proposal includes protections for legitimate Palestinian economic activity and humanitarian assistance.
But several Norwegian Jewish figures told The Jerusalem Post that the legislation is generating concerns extending beyond its stated commercial purpose.
โReal Anxietyโ Among Norwegian Jews
Ester Nafstad, co-founder of Nordic Jewish network Kos & Kaos, said the potential criminal penalties mean the proposal cannot be regarded simply as a symbolic foreign-policy measure.
“The proposed ban is presented as a political signal, but a law carrying potential prison sentences cannot be treated as merely symbolic,” Nafstad told the Post.
She said the proposal was creating “real anxiety” within Norway’s small Jewish community.
“Many fear that their family, religious or communal ties to Israel could expose them to scrutiny or investigation, even when they have no economic connections to the West Bank or to Israeli settlements,” Nafstad said.
The proposed legislation itself is framed around specified economic transactions rather than Jewish religious or family connections. The concerns Nafstad described therefore relate to how members of the Jewish community fear the law could operate or affect the surrounding climate, rather than to an explicit provision criminalizing such relationships.
Nafstad nevertheless argued those fears should be considered when lawmakers assess legislation directed specifically at Israeli settlement activity.
Foreign Minister’s Antisemitism Remarks Draw Criticism
The controversy has intensified after remarks by Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
Eide told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that Israel had become too accustomed to being able to intimidate Western countries by accusing them of antisemitism when they criticized Israeli actions. He said the “Teflon coating” Israel previously enjoyed had disappeared.
Nafstad called the remarks “deeply troubling,” arguing they could reinforce the perception that accusations of antisemitism are primarily deployed as a political weapon rather than reflecting legitimate concerns about anti-Jewish hatred.
Jewish Norwegian author, podcaster and public speaker Henrik Beckheim was even more critical.
Beckheim argued that Eide’s characterization risks delegitimizing Jews who identify antisemitism, saying it amounted to accusing them of playing “the antisemitism card.”
The criticism comes against a broader backdrop of concern about Jewish life in Norway.
A 2026 report from Norway’s Center for Holocaust and Minority Studies, based on interviews with nearly 100 Norwegian Jews, found that many respondents described concealing Jewish symbols, avoiding speaking Hebrew publicly and becoming more reluctant to disclose their Jewish identity following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack and the subsequent war.
Possible European Court Challenge
Robert Hercz, president of Det Jรธdiske Fellesskapet i Norge, the Jewish Community in Norway, told The Jerusalem Post that his organization is prepared to support a legal challenge if the proposed legislation becomes law.
“The aim is to bring a case before the European Court of Human Rights,” Hercz said.
No such case has been decided yet, and the legislation remains a proposal under consultation.
Norway’s government maintains that the restrictions are intended to address settlement-related commerce rather than Jews or Jewish religious life.
Foreign Minister Eide said when announcing the proposal that Norwegian citizens and businesses should not profit from or support activity that helps maintain Israeli settlements.
The government also says the legislation follows previous resolutions passed by Norway’s parliament in 2025 and is grounded in Norway’s interpretation of international law.
Canada Among 12 Countries Pursuing Restrictions
The debate has implications beyond Norway.
On Sept. 8, Canada joined Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom in confirming an intention to introduce national restrictions, support European restrictions or actively consider measures restricting trade in goods with Israeli settlements.
Canada, France, and the United Kingdom specifically said they would introduce national measures banning trade in settlement goods.
The Canadian government says Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem are illegal under international law and currently advises Canadian companies against economic and financial activities associated with them.
Norway’s proposal goes further by establishing potential criminal liability for prohibited transactions.
For Norway’s Jewish community, the dispute is therefore no longer solely about the country’s policy toward Israel.
Nafstad, Beckheim and Hercz are raising a different question: whether legislation designed to isolate particular Israeli economic activity could have unintended consequences for Jews living thousands of kilometers away.
Norway’s government says the proposed law targets settlement-related commerce. Jewish communal figures say the government must also consider how criminal legislation directed exclusively at Israeli settlement activity could affect the security and confidence of Norwegian Jews.
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