Consultation Response by KKN on Trade with Judea and Samaria

Consultation response from Christian Coalition Norway (KKN) by Chairman Jan-Aage Torp (Oslo) and attorney Maurice Hirsch (Jerusalem):

The Norwegian government’s decision to pursue sanctions against the products of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, ignores legal, economic, and social realities and risks backfiring, causing substantial damage to tens of thousands of Palestinians living in these areas.

This submission is based, predominantly, on three principles.

First, prior to the October 7 massacre, more than 100,000 Palestinian residents of Judea and Samaria worked in Israel, within the 1949 Armistice Lines (a.k.a. "The Green Line"). Following the massacre, and taking note, inter alia, of the high level of public support for the massacre among the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria, Israel prohibited the entry of the Palestinian workers. Thus, as a direct result of the massacre, tens of thousands of Palestinians lost their places of employment and their income.

The 17 Jewish Arab developed industrial zones across Judea and Samaria provide high paying monthly salaries to some 40,000 Palestinian employees earning 300% more than in Palestinian Authority controlled areas.

Imposing sanctions on the product of the Israeli settlements and the businesses, such as banks, who support those endeavors, risks, once again, forcing tens of thousands of Palestinians to lose employment and income.

Second, while the suggested legislation focuses on the actions of Israel and Israelis settling in the 3,500-year-old ancestral homeland of the Jewish people, in an area repeatedly allocated by the international community for the purpose of reconstituting the Jewish national home, it completely ignores the actions of the Palestinian Authority.

For example, while the suggested legislation proposes sanctioning Israel and Israeli products, nothing is mentioned about the Palestinian Authority sanctioned education to hatred and terror or the glorification of terrorists(including murderers). Most glaringly, the legislation ignores the Palestinian Authority terror rewarding "Pay-for-Slay" policy. As part of this policy, the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) have paid billions of dollars to promote, incentivize and reward terrorists and their families for participating in terror.

If the goal of the legislation is to target so-called obstacles to peace and the two-state solution, it cannot focus solely on Israel, but must also include provisions to sanction the Palestinian Authority and the PLO for inciting, promoting and rewarding terrorists for participating in terror.

Third, before enacting the legislation, the Norwegian government must take into consideration that Israel may adopt similar measures as regards the products emanating from the territories under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

According to reports of the Palestinian Authority, over ninety percent, sometimes as much as ninety-six percent, of all Palestinian exports are sold to Israel. If Israel decides to adopt legislation that only mirrors the legislation passed by Norway, and imposes sanctions on Palestinian products, the effect on the Palestinian economy would be catastrophic.

A Norwegian boycott of Jewish products and businesses, in addition to Israel’s prospective retaliatory action leading to loss of revenue from 90% plus of Palestinian exports to Israel would devastate the Palestinian economy.

The Norwegian government therefore would be advised to reconsider their boycott that would push peace and good neighborly relations farther away, at a time of opportunity to bolster Arab Jewish cooperation in these areas.

The “Law of unintended consequences” is a concept in political, economic, and sociological theory that dates back at least to John Locke in the 17th century. The “law” refers to an outcome or outcomes of a purposeful action that is/are unforeseen or unanticipated.

While the suggested legislation is being presented as part of the measures to penalize Israel for promoting Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, the actual effect on Israel's economy is likely to be negligible. The anticipated effect on the Palestinians and the Palestinian economy, in contrast, will most likely be devastating.

Yours sincerely,

Christian Coalition Norway (KKN) - Pastor Jan-Aage Torp, Board Chairman of KKN

Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA) - Maurice Hirsch, Attorney, Director for Initiative for Palestinian Authority Accountability and Reform at JCFA. Former Director of the Military Prosecution for Judea and Samaria.