Norway's Capital Bans All Products Made in Israeli Settlement Communities

JERUSALEM, Israel - Oslo, Norway's newly installed City Council has voted to ban all services and products made in Israel's settlement communities.

The Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement announced the decision in a press release on Monday.  According to the report, the ban was approved by the city council as part of its new platform for 2019-2023. The newly-elected council is led by the Socialist Left, Labour, and Green parties.

The council also committed to "Investigate the scope of action in the procurement regulations to not trade goods and services produced on territory occupied in violation of international law by companies operating under the permission of the occupying power."

The ban does not distinguish between Israeli and international corporations that operate in the settlement communities.

"The Palestinian people, who have to deal with the illegal occupation of their territory every single day, deserve international attention and support. It is a shared global responsibility to help ensure that human rights and international law are not violated. I am proud that the Oslo City Council is now taking steps to prevent goods and services purchased by the city from supporting an illegal occupation of Palestine or other territories," said Sunniva Eisvoll, leader of the Oslo chapters of the Socialist Left Party.

Oslo, Norway's capital city, has become the sixth Norwegian municipality to install such a ban.

Ireland's government is also considering similar legislation. The Irish government's "Occupied Territories Bill" has been approved by both houses of Parliament.

Several European countries are standing against the BDS movement.

Last week, Czech lawmakers passed a resolution condemning the anti-Israel boycotts, sanctions, and divestments (BDS) movement against Israel along with all forms of anti-Semitism.

The resolution prohibits the Czech government from financially supporting any group that supports boycotts against the Jewish state. Following the Czech Republic's decision, Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz called "on more Parliaments to follow suit."

The German parliament also passed a "non-binding resolution in May condemning BDS.