Foreign Minister Brende admits that he is concerned over Israel’s new law that denies entry to all those who have supported a boycott of the country.
Israel’s Parliament, Knesset, passed the law earlier in March.
This means that “neither a visa nor any kind of residence permit will be issued to any person who is not an Israeli citizen or a permanent resident, or if he/she or an organization or body they may be active in, have knowingly urged a public boycott of the State of Israel or promised to participate in such a boycott.”
This will include a number of individuals in Norway, as well as several municipalities that have made a decision to boycott Israeli goods from the West Bank settlements.
Parliament Representative Stine Renate Håheim has asked Brende what Norwegian authorities will do to assist Norwegian nationals who are refused entry to Israel:
– The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has regular contact with the Israeli authorities about how Israeli entry rules are being practiced, responding Brende in a letter quoted by the newspaper Vårt Land.
He is worried about the development, but emphasizes that it is still unknown how the new law will work.
– It is still not clear how the ban will be implemented and what practical consequences it may have for travelers and for Norwegian organizations, says Brende.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
