The Socialist Left Party, a member of the center-left Norwegian government is to officially launch a solidarity campaign for Palestine beginning in the New Year. The campaign will focus on a consumer boycott of Israeli products and will push for a ban on any arms trade between the Norwegian government and the Israeli regime. After reactions in Parliament, the news of the campaign has already started a heated debate in Norwegian media bringing wider publicity and debate into the boycott and sanctions campaign.
The campaign will focus on a consumer boycott of Israeli products and will push for a ban on any arms trade between the Norwegian government and the Israeli regime. In the country where the Oslo accords were brokered, Norwayâs new generation of campaigners appear to have learned the lessons of a failed âpeace processâ that oversaw the institutionalization of the Occupation and Apartheid in Palestine. Norwegian activists have been able to garner the support from the youth movements of all the three government parties for the boycott on arms trading and Israeli consumer products.
Earlier this year, the Socialist Left Party passed a motion declaring that it âwill put pressure on Israel and be a driving force in the resistance against the Apartheid Wall on occupied West Bank territory, in accordance with The Hague International Court ruling.â It is now starting such efforts to transform words into action and pressure the Labour and Center Party with which it shares government, to support their âboycott Israelâ policy.
Palestine solidarity activists in Norway hope that this move can be transformed into a major breakthrough in government policies. This success is part of an ongoing civil society campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Apartheid Israel that launched in June 2005.