Norway's capital prohibits the import of goods produced in Israel settlements

The Norwegian capital, Oslo has announced a ban on importing goods and services of companies that contribute directly or indirectly to the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, as they constitute a flagrant violation of international law.

The Palestinian BDS National Committee welcomed Oslo’s announcement. It noted that the decision “followed the decision of the Mayor of Barcelona to freeze relations with the Israeli colonial and apartheid regime.”

Oslo City Council announced that it will not trade in goods and services produced in areas that are illegally occupied in violation of international law. Its procurement policy will exclude companies that directly or indirectly contribute to Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise – a war crime under international law.

On 8 February, the Municipal Council of the Spanish city of Barcelona approved a proposal submitted by left-wing parties and the city’s mayor to cancel the twinning agreement with the municipality of Tel Aviv, in a culmination of the efforts made by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The Norwegian government had announced in 2022 that the “made in Israel” mark is only suitable for products coming from territories under Israeli control before 4 June 1967.

Oslo stated that “foodstuffs coming from Israeli-occupied areas must be labelled with the area from which the product comes and must indicate that it is from an Israeli settlement, if that is its source.”

The Norwegian government said the measure would apply to the occupied territories in the Golan Heights and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

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Updated on 27 April 2023 at 08:16GMT to show the decision was taken by Oslo City Council and not the Norwegian government.