Anti-Israel activists are celebrating a “victory” in Norway for the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement targeting the Jewish state.
Trondheim City Council, representing Norway’s third-largest city, passed a resolution supporting a boycott of goods and services produced in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
The Norwegian city urges its residents to avoid doing business with Jewish-owned companies based in the “illegal settlements.”
According to the misguided resolution, “Illegal settlements are expanding, the construction of the wall continues, Palestinians are subjected to daily harassment and face major obstacles in their daily lives. This is a policy that Trondheim Municipality cannot support. The municipality will therefore refrain from purchasing goods and services produced in the occupied territories.”
Judea and Samaria, the ancient homeland of the Jewish people, was in fact liberated by the IDF during the 1967 Six Day War, when Israel defended itself against the surrounding Arab countries determined to destroy the Jewish state. Between 1948 an 1967, the region was occupied by Jordan; there was never a Palestinian state.
The Trondheim decision has been hailed as a victory for the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, The Electronic Intifada reported.
“Although this is limited to occupied territories, it is an important step forward for the BDS movement in Norway,” Kathrine Jensen, chair of the Palestine Committee of Norway, told the anti-Israel site.
“Our hope is that in time they will see how the illegal settlements and Israel as such are very intertwined and that a full boycott [of the State of Israel] is needed,” added BDS Norway activist Selini Tavridou-Hansen. “This is an important step towards achieving this goal, and it will help put pressure on Israel and its policies. We encourage other municipalities to follow Trondheim and pass similar regulations.”
“Everybody has a right to express views and voice criticism about international affairs of concern. However, in this instance, we notice once again that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign targeting Israel uses double standards,” World Jewish Congress CEO Robert Singer stated Friday in a letter to Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende.
By: Terri Nir, United with Israel