Norway is preparing to enact laws and impose sanctions criminalizing trade with Jewish yishuvim in Yehuda and Shomron, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide confirmed on Monday.

According to the proposal currently being reviewed by the Norwegian government, individuals or companies that conduct business with entities in Yehuda and Shomron could face up to three years in prison.

Eide expressed optimism that the law would be approved by parliament as early as this coming fall.

“Israel has become far too accustomed to being able to intimidate Western countries by saying they were antisemites if they criticized Israel for abuses and violations of international law,” he told the NRK state broadcaster. “Now that Teflon coating that Israel had in many ways is gone.”

Eide claimed that Washington’s response to the move was “surprisingly restrained and tolerant,” which, in his view, indicates that Israel’s diplomatic standing and the immunity it once enjoyed have significantly decreased.

The move has sparked considerable outrage in Israel and among Israelis living in Norway.

On Elpeleg, an Israeli resident who monitors antisemitic rhetoric in the country, was quoted by Ynet as saying: “The meaning of Eide’s remarks is clear: This will turn every Jew here into a criminal. Anyone who buys a bottle of wine or services from the yishuvim risks going to prison.”

He accused Eide of pursuing an extreme anti-Israel policy, saying, “I think the Norwegian foreign minister, who won an ‘antisemite of the year’ award here, has lost the plot.”

However, despite the political significance of the decision, the volume of direct trade between Norway and Jewish yishuvim in Yehuda and Shomron is relatively limited and consists mainly of agricultural products, wine, and local construction and engineering services.

Last week, 12 Western countries announced their intention to impose sanctions on trade with yishuvim in Yehuda and Shomron, including Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)