Jaw-Dropping BDS Sanctions Just Stunned Israel!

Right, so boycott, divestment and sanctions is an ethos many people have chosen to embrace when it comes to Israel, but this latest example of it has global repercussions for Israel and there is absolutely nothing they can do about it, those leading the charge here, the Israel Lobby don’t have much influence with.
We’re back in Norway, a nation that has already seen its Sovereign Wealth Fund enact BDS against at least one Israeli company, more on this is a moment, new developments here too, but has also formally recognised the State of Palestine, so they’re a headache of a nation for the likes of Netanyahu. But now in a show of real people power that is possible in a nation that has a proper and functional democracy, the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions has just passed a motion amongst its 1 million members that has passed by 88% to BDS Israel into the floor across all manner of sectors from trade, investment, sports and cultural events. This is possibly the single most damaging example of BDS being enacted against Israel ever seen and there may yet be even more to come.
Right, so bad news for Israel really doesn’t come much bigger than this, especially with their economy going down the tubes, but this motion passing and the consequences that will be felt as a result of it going forwards now will be crushing and if you think a nation like Norway, not exactly known for being a big global player perhaps doesn’t have that clout then you need to watch this and realise they absolutely do. The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, abbreviated to LO, which stands for something Norwegian that’s about a foot long and I’m not even going to attempt to say it, I butcher enough pronunciations on here as it is, but they are Norway’s largest and most influential labour federation, an umbrella organisation for trade unions in Norway and it has voted by a sweeping majority to enforce a total boycott of Israel. The resolution was passed at LO’s national congress just yesterday, marking one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching endorsements of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement ever enacted by a national institution. With this motion, Norway has made clear that genocide, occupation, and systemic apartheid will not be passively tolerated by them and that the people of a democratic nation possess the power to act when their governments fail to and I’ll come back to that point actually in a moment.
This decision did not emerge out of nowhere. It comes in response to what many human rights groups, legal scholars, and international observers have described as Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, the difference is in Norway, people genuinely an make a difference when for so many of the rest of us, our so-called democracies are less than legit, just look at anti genocide protesters getting arrested here in the UK for instance.
The LO represents nearly 1 million members across diverse sectors of the Norwegian workforce, encompassing both public and private industries and when you consider the entire population of Norway is only about 5.5m people, you can see another reason they have so much clout. Founded in 1899, the LO has historically played a critical role in shaping Norwegian policy—not just on labour issues as you expect trade unions to do, but in other areas that they speak out on issues, such as social welfare, environmental justice, and foreign policy as well. Its political influence is rather profound.
Thus, when the LO speaks, the country listens. And when it votes to implement a complete boycott of Israel, the world should take notice.
The motion passed at the LO national congress did not simply gesture toward symbolic condemnation. It mandated real, far-reaching consequences, including:
1. A complete ban on trade and investment with Israeli companies and entities;
2. A boycott of all cultural, sports, and academic institutions in or linked to Israel;
3. Immediate and full divestment by Norway’s $1.8 trillion Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), also known as the Oil Fund, from any company complicit in Israel’s occupation;
4. A demand that, should Israel not end its occupation of Gaza by September 2025, Norway must lead a coordinated global economic boycott against Israel.
This resolution passed with an overwhelming majority vote—88% of LO delegates endorsed the boycott, demonstrating a broad consensus among ordinary Norwegians in opposition to Israeli policies.
Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza has led to entire neighbourhoods being destroyed, hospitals and schools bombed, and essential infrastructure deliberately destroyed, barely a building still standing in many places, not to mention all the lives lost and destroyed in the process.
LO’s resolution reflects growing global revulsion at Israel but matching words with deeds. The motion’s text explicitly references Israel’s continued violation of international law, the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, and the collective punishment of Palestinian civilians. It also highlights Israel’s settlement expansion, land theft, and systemic discrimination against Palestinians as reasons for the boycott.
One of the most consequential elements of LO’s motion is its demand that Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global divest entirely from companies complicit in Israel’s occupation. Known as the “Oil Fund,” the GPFG is the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world, with over $1.8 trillion in assets. Its holdings span global markets, and its decisions reverberate through financial systems far beyond Norway. It’s the size of that investment pot that gives Norway its clout.
LO’s motion has already had effects. Just days after the vote, the fund divested from Paz Oil Company Ltd, a major Israeli firm that owns petrol stations, or gas stations if you prefer and convenience stores across Israel and in occupied Palestinian territories. This move follows previous divestments such as that from Bezeq, who are Israel’s largest telecommunications provider, which was pulled from the fund’s portfolio last year for servicing illegal settlements in the West Bank.
The GPFG has a long-standing ethical investment policy, which prohibits investments in companies that violate international law or contribute to serious human rights abuses. LO’s demand now calls for this policy to be applied stringently to all companies with ties to Israel’s occupation, including firms like Palantir Technologies, which have provided surveillance software used in the occupied territories. In fact, other major Norwegian investors like Storebrand Asset Management have already divested from Palantir, citing its unethical involvement and it just so happens that on this matter of ethics, though more in relation to migration than Israel, Palantir UK’s boss, was on one of the UK’s politics shows just yesterday morning:
Never worked in countries that are adversarial to the West, just adversarial it could be argued to people who aren’t white then operating in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories though eh? That chap is called Louis Mosley incidentally, he happens to be the grandson of Oswald Mosley, so it was a bold choice for him to be wearing a black shirt I thought.
Anyway, should the Oil Fund fully implement LO’s demands, the consequences for Israel’s economy could be severe. The fund’s influence is such that its actions often serve as a moral and financial signal to other institutional investors, many of whom follow Norway’s lead in divestment and ethical review.
And LO’s resolution doesn’t stop at the financial sector. It extends into cultural, academic, and athletic realms—areas where Israel has often sought to use “soft power” to distract from its military occupation and apartheid regime. By calling for a boycott of all cultural and academic institutions linked to Israel, LO underscores that there is no neutrality in a situation of entrenched occupation and systemic violence.
This aligns with calls from Palestinian civil society groups, including the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), which has long argued that institutions complicit in occupation and apartheid cannot be treated as apolitical. LO's move sends a clear message: normalisation with apartheid is not acceptable, whether in classrooms, on concert stages, or on sports fields.
Perhaps the most stunning aspect of this development is the response—or lack thereof—from the Norwegian government. When pressed on whether it would oppose such a sweeping motion, senior Norwegian government officials responded that they “would not interfere.” In practical terms, this is a green light from Oslo, a tacit endorsement of LO’s moral leadership. They aren’t going to fight this.
Moreover, LO’s resolution includes a clause stipulating that if Israel has not ended its occupation by September, Norway must lead a global economic boycott against Israel. Given LO’s deep political ties and popular mandate, the widespread influence and economic ties of the sovereign wealth fund, this is not an empty threat. It positions Norway as a potential international leader in human rights accountability, in sharp contrast to the tepid responses from far too many in the West, your Trump’s your Macron’s your Merz’s and your Starmer’s.
This political weight reflects the democratic strength of Norwegian civil society. Unlike in countries where pro-Israel lobbying groups exert disproportionate influence, in Norway, grassroots worker power is being used to enforce human rights and international law, the power of trade unionism as this actually is.
The reaction from Palestinian groups has been immediate and jubilant. In a public statement, Hamas applauded LO’s decision as a "courageous and honourable step" that demonstrates growing international solidarity with the Palestinian cause. The movement thanked the Norwegian people and their representatives for "standing on the side of justice."
At the same time, Israeli media outlets like Israel Hayom and The Jerusalem Post have reported on growing fears that LO’s motion will trigger a wave of European BDS activity. In one striking example of this already coming into effect, an Israeli tourist reported being contacted by a Norwegian hotel and told their booking was cancelled because of the boycott. “We have to boycott you,” the email reportedly stated.
For Israelis, this signals a whole new reality: the occupation is no longer cost-free. It carries growing consequences, for them, directly, not only diplomatically but socially, culturally, and economically.
LO’s move could represent a turning point in the international response to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Until now, many Western governments have paid lip service to human rights while continuing to arm, trade with, and invest in Israel. The lack of real consequences has allowed the occupation to persist with impunity as a result.
Norway’s boycott changes the calculus. It shows that people—through democratic institutions like trade unions—can exert real pressure. It offers a model for labour unions, pension funds, and cultural institutions across the world.
Moreover, the divestment component could become a template for financial activism. With the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund now under pressure to withdraw from all companies complicit in occupation, others may follow. Norway's GPFG has historically been seen as a leader in responsible investing; its moves are carefully tracked by global financial institutions, what they do in response to this is being observed.
In a world increasingly defined by moral ambiguity and political cowardice, the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions has drawn a line in the sand. It has said that genocide, apartheid, and colonialism cannot be ignored or tolerated. It has used its considerable influence to take a stand not just for the people of Palestine but for the integrity of international law and the idea of shared humanity. Now who will be next?
For more on this story, namely the reasoning behind the sovereign wealth fund pulling out of Bezeq Communications and how that is actually implicated in Benjamin Netanyahu’s fraud trial, check out this video recommendation here as your suggested next watch. Please do also hit like, share and subscribe if you haven’t done so already so as to ensure you don’t miss out on all new daily content as well as spreading the word and helping to support the channel at the same time which is very much appreciated, holding power to account for ordinary working class people and I will hopefully catch you on the next vid. Cheers folks.