It wasn’t that long ago that bureaucratic governments found a way to control their populations, getting them to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do.
How did that happen? Simple! Either you complied with whatever was being asked of you, or you would face the consequences – anything from loss of one’s job to not being allowed to attend events.
It worked, because few were willing to lose their freedoms or their livelihoods. Now, returning to take a page from those dark days of COVID, world leaders have figured out how to manipulate political narratives under which they want everyone to live.
In this case, Israel is the predictable object of attention. Norway has advanced legislation that could have devastating effects on its citizens who make the mistake of purchasing a product that was made by “Jewish settlers.”
In short, the proposed bill, if passed, would “criminalize trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, carrying potential prison sentences of up to three years for intentional violations.”
That means if you buy one of the following products, you might find yourself behind bars for as long as three years:
Dates: Medjool and other date varieties grown in large plantations in the Jordan Valley, a major export item.
Fresh produce: Citrus fruits, grapes, and vegetables.
Olives and olive oil: Grown in settlement orchards and processed into oil.
Nuts and herbs: Almonds and peanuts, which are also cultivated and exported.
Wine: Produced from vineyards located in the West Bank and Golan Heights.
Plastics and metals: Extruded aluminum, building components, and industrial materials.
Cosmetics: Products utilizing minerals and natural extracts from the region.
Wine and processed foods: Packaged goods, dressings, and condiments processed in industrial zones located within settlements.
But wait, the news gets worse.
It is not just Norway that wants to punish its citizens for making a purchase from Judea and Samaria. Other nations have jumped on that bandwagon as well: “Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden, in a joint statement, expressed intentions to take or support similar measures shortly after a British announcement.”
Becoming anti-Israel by fear
What this essentially means is that countries have found a clever way to force their citizens to become anti-Israel if, for no other reason than the fear of being incarcerated, as a result of exercising their freedom of choice, when it comes to which products they buy. Talk about a dystopian society! It doesn’t get more oppressive than a government that determines your choice of purchases.
It almost makes you want to champion the cause of libertarianism, the belief that individual liberty is the highest political value, and advocate for minimal government intervention and maximal personal and economic freedom.
But far be it from anyone to accuse this latest move of being one that reeks of antisemitism, according to those who are pushing this punitive legislation. To hear it from them, Israel tends to accuse individuals and countries of antisemitism for whatever they deem to be even the slightest criticism of them.
And while that may be an effective comeback, it doesn’t hold up well when scrutinizing other nations that have no boundaries when it comes to blaming the Jewish state for war crimes, abuses, and violating international law, especially when real human infractions go unnoticed.
But by zoning in on Israel, these countries have found a way to indemnify their libelous charges as they hide under the shelter of the law.
SIMPLY PUT, Espen Barth Eide, Norway’s foreign minister, said, “Israel has become far too accustomed to being able to intimidate Western countries by saying they were antisemites if they criticized Israel for abuses and violations of international law. Now the [protective cover] that Israel has in many ways enjoyed is gone.”
You can almost hear the glee in his voice as he rubs his hands together, knowing that he has managed to pull off a diabolically clever way to punish Israel while avoiding the label of Jew-hater or bigot.
It’s almost too good to be true. Eide comes off looking like a true justice warrior, while ordinary Norwegian citizens are hauled off to prison for buying a bottle of their favorite wine. It’s the mother of all fig leaves when covering up one’s nakedness!
But why should anyone be surprised? This is how the game is played. It starts with an agenda, followed by the mental calculations that it takes to figure out how to get others on board. Once that is accomplished, the next step is to determine what coercive measures are needed to bring the plan to fruition.
Of course, everyone knows that the best way to do that is to chip away at personal liberties. Remove one’s freedom of movement or the ability to earn a living, and people will pretty much do anything you ask of them.
In the case of incarceration, two birds are killed with one stone. After all, no one in prison can go wherever they want or work in their profession. Essentially, it can literally bankrupt a person, ruin their reputation, and keep them in chains for as long as it takes until they are willing to come around and see things the government’s way.
You really have to hand it to world leaders when it comes to getting others to do what they want. While each of them runs on a platform of democratic values that promote freedom and personal choice, these overlords, once elected into office, can enslave their populations by the stroke of a pen.
Why bother with armies and soldiers when ink is enough to do the trick? It seems to be the wave of the future regarding how governments can induce their electorate to back whatever legislation they choose to promote once they have power.
Ironically, this seems to work best when it comes to Israel, because punitive measures are both a shield for legislators as well as a means to injure an entire race of people who, unlike all others, have returned to their ancestral land by divine decree.
Perhaps that’s why punishment must be inflicted, because that kind of special privilege just doesn’t sit well with the nations!
The writer, a former principal of Jerusalem elementary and middle schools, was a member of Kibbutz Re’im from 1994 to 1999. She is the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs, available on Amazon.