Last week, Norway’s LO trade union voted in favor of a full economic boycott of Israel, while also urging the government to direct the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) to divest from Israeli companies, similar to how it mandated the divestment from Russian companies after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. On Sunday, the GPFG — which is one of the largest funds in the world — announced that it had divested from Israel’s Paz Oil Company, citing its ownership and operation of infrastructure that supplies fuel to “Israeli settlements in the West Bank.” “By operating infrastructure for the supply of fuel to the Israeli settlements on the West Bank, Paz is contributing to their perpetuation,” the fund’s Council on Ethics watchdog said in its recommendation to divest. “The settlements have been established in violation of international law, and their perpetuation constitutes an ongoing violation thereof.” It is the latest decision by a European financial entity to cut back links to Israeli companies or those with ties to Israel since the start of the Israeli genocide in Gaza in October 2023. Israel has escalated settlement activity in the West Bank. This is part of a broader strategy to annex more Palestinian land, despite international opposition. Israel’s settlement expansion continues amid official statements and consensus among Knesset members rejecting the creation of a Palestinian state, defying international law. The United Nations has repeatedly called for a halt to these illegal settlements. By the end of 2024, around 770,000 Israeli settlers lived in the West Bank, spread across 180 settlements and 256 outposts. These settlements are considered illegal under international law. law. Israel unilaterally violated the Gaza ceasefire on March 18 after refusing to proceed to the second phase, which would have secured the release of all remaining captives. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected offers from Hamas for their release. Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza’s main crossings, halting the flow of food, medical aid, and other humanitarian supplies. This blockade has caused a severe and unprecedented decline in living conditions, with human rights organizations accusing Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinians. Since resuming the assault, over 2,800 Palestinians have been killed and more than 5,700 wounded, mostly children and women, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.Norwegian hotel turns down Israeli tourists.
— B.M. (@ireallyhateyou) May 12, 2025
More of this, everywhere, please! https://t.co/qXLtTdZEED pic.twitter.com/0JcPOuxRvh
Norwegian Hotel Refuses to Host Israeli Settler Tourist Citing 'Catastrophic Situation in Gaza'
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