Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Iceland

**Zionist movement**
Overview
Zionism \| Zionist Movement \| Jerusalem Program \| World Zionist Congress \| The Duties of the Individual Zionist \| Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic \| Balfour Declaration
Leading figures
Theodor Herzl \| Chaim Weizmann \| David Ben-Gurion
National institutions
World Zionist Organization \| Jewish National Fund / KKL \| Jewish Agency for Israel \| Keren Hayesod / UIA National offices: World Zionist Organization UK \| L’Organisation Sioniste Mondiale en France \| Jewish Agency for Israel UK and Europe \| United Israel Appeal \| Jewish Federations of North America Historical: Jewish Colonial Trust \| Anglo-Palestine Bank \| Bank Leumi
Zionist federations (43)
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National JNF bodies (42)
Europe: Austria \| Balkans \| Belgium \| Czech Republic \| Denmark \| Finland \| France \| Germany \| Greece \| Hungary \| Ireland \| Italy \| Netherlands \| Norway \| Scotland \| Spain \| Sweden \| Switzerland \| UK Americas: USA \| Canada \| Argentina \| Bolivia \| Brazil \| Chile \| Colombia \| Costa Rica \| Curaçao \| Ecuador \| El Salvador \| Guatemala \| Honduras \| Mexico \| Panama \| Paraguay \| Peru \| Uruguay \| Venezuela Africa, Asia and Oceania: Australia \| Hong Kong \| New Zealand \| South Africa UK trusts: JNF Charitable Trust \| The KKL Charitable Trust \| The KKL (Scotland) Charitable Trust \| Glasgow Commission of the Jewish National Fund
National Keren Hayesod bodies (35)
Europe: Austria \| Belgium \| Denmark \| Estonia \| Faroe Islands \| Finland \| France \| Germany \| Greece \| Hungary \| Italy \| Latvia \| Lithuania \| Luxembourg \| Netherlands \| Norway \| Spain \| Sweden \| Switzerland (Zurich) \| Switzerland (Geneva) \| UK \| UJIA (UK) \| Ukraine Americas: Canada \| Latin America \| Argentina \| Brazil \| Mexico \| Paraguay \| Uruguay Africa, Asia and Oceania: Australia \| Hong Kong and the Far East \| New Zealand \| South Africa \| Taiwan
World unions and factions
Mizrachi \| World Mizrachi \| Arzenu \| Mercaz Olami \| World Confederation of United Zionists \| Eretz Hakodesh \| World Sephardi Federation \| Ameinu \| Likud \| World Likud UK: Mizrachi of Great Britain and Ireland \| Arzenu UK \| Mercaz UK \| Likud-Herut UK \| Herut UK
Affiliated world organisations
Hadassah \| Hadassah International \| WIZO \| WIZO UK \| Emunah \| Maccabi World Union \| B'nai B'rith International \| World Union of Jewish Students
Youth movements
Hashomer Hatzair \| Habonim Dror \| Bnei Akiva \| Betar \| BBYO \| Young Judaea \| LJY-Netzer \| Zionist Youth Council (UK) \| Taglit Birthright \| Federation of Zionist Youth
Labour Zionism and the kibbutz
Kibbutz Artzi \| Histadrut \| Mapai \| Poale Zion \| Jewish Labour Movement
Settlement and land
Nachala \| Ateret Cohanim \| Daniella Weiss \| Greater Israel \| Nefesh B'Nefesh Historical: Jewish Colonization Association \| Palestine Jewish Colonization Association \| Mikveh Israel
Military history
Zion Mule Corps \| Jewish Legion \| Jewish Brigade
Christian Zionism
Christians United for Israel \| International Christian Embassy Jerusalem \| Christian Friends of Israel - UK \| Christians for Israel International \| Christians for Zion \| ProZion \| Israel Allies Foundation
Israel lobby
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Data and sources
British Zionist charities \| 'Zionist' non profits in the US \| Zionist family foundations in the UK - a ranking \| The Zionist Year Book \| Zionist Review \| Herzl Zionist Institute
Europe (45)
Albania \| Andorra \| Austria \| Belarus \| Belgium (movement) \| Bosnia and Herzegovina \| Bulgaria \| Croatia \| Czechia \| Denmark \| Estonia \| Finland \| France (movement) \| Germany \| Greece \| Hungary \| Iceland \| Ireland (movement) \| Italy (movement) \| Kosovo \| Latvia \| Liechtenstein \| Lithuania \| Luxembourg \| Malta \| Moldova \| Monaco \| Montenegro \| Netherlands (movement) \| North Macedonia \| Norway \| Poland \| Portugal \| Romania \| Russia \| San Marino \| Serbia \| Slovakia \| Slovenia \| Spain \| Sweden \| Switzerland \| Ukraine \| United Kingdom (movement) \| Vatican City EU: EU UK nations and regions: London \| Scotland \| Wales \| Northern Ireland \| West Midlands \| South West \| Channel Islands \| East Midlands \| East of England \| Yorkshire and the Humber \| North West \| North East \| South East
North America and the Caribbean (12)
United States (movement) \| Canada (movement) \| Antigua and Barbuda \| Bahamas \| Barbados \| Dominica \| Grenada \| Jamaica \| Saint Kitts and Nevis \| Saint Lucia \| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines \| Trinidad and Tobago
West Asia (17)
Armenia \| Azerbaijan \| Bahrain \| Cyprus \| Georgia \| Iran \| Iraq \| Jordan \| Kuwait \| Lebanon \| Oman \| Qatar \| Saudi Arabia \| Syria \| Turkey \| UAE \| Yemen
North Africa (6)
Algeria \| Egypt \| Libya \| Morocco \| Sudan \| Tunisia
Sub-Saharan Africa (48)
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Latin America and the Caribbean (23)
Argentina (movement) \| Belize \| Bolivia \| Brazil \| Chile \| Colombia \| Costa Rica \| Cuba \| Dominican Republic \| Ecuador \| El Salvador \| Guatemala \| Guyana \| Haiti \| Honduras \| Mexico \| Nicaragua \| Panama \| Paraguay \| Peru \| Suriname \| Uruguay \| Venezuela
South Asia (8)
Afghanistan \| Bangladesh \| Bhutan \| India \| Maldives \| Nepal \| Pakistan \| Sri Lanka
Central Asia (5)
Kazakhstan \| Kyrgyzstan \| Tajikistan \| Turkmenistan \| Uzbekistan
East Asia (6)
China \| Japan \| Mongolia \| North Korea \| South Korea \| Taiwan
Southeast Asia (11)
Brunei \| Cambodia \| East Timor \| Indonesia \| Laos \| Malaysia \| Myanmar \| Philippines \| Singapore \| Thailand \| Vietnam
Oceania and the Pacific (14)
Australia (movement) \| Fiji \| Kiribati \| Marshall Islands \| Micronesia \| Nauru \| New Zealand \| Palau \| Papua New Guinea \| Samoa \| Solomon Islands \| Tonga \| Tuvalu \| Vanuatu

Iceland: relations with "Israel", recognition of Palestine and the Eurovision boycott

Iceland recognised "Israel" in May 1948.^[1] It recognised the State of Palestine on 15 December 2011, the first Western and Northern European country to do so according to the Palestinian foreign minister.^[2]

Israeli state and commercial ties

Diplomacy

The Israeli foreign ministry's 2011 list of missions records relations with Iceland as recognition in May 1948, with "Israel" represented by its ambassador in Norway, with an honorary consul in Reykjavik.^[1]

Trade

The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics reports that "Israel" imported goods worth $7.4 million from Iceland in 2025 (2024: $3.8 million) and exported goods worth $6.0 million to it (2024: $2.0 million).^[3]

Political interference

Recognition of Palestine

Following a resolution of the Althingi of 29 November 2011, which was passed unopposed, the Icelandic foreign minister, Össur Skarphéðinsson, presented a diplomatic note to the Palestinian foreign minister, Riad Malki, stating that Iceland had recognised Palestine "as an independent and sovereign state within the pre-1967 Six Day War borders" as of 15 December 2011. He described the recognition as "a matter of justice".^[2]

Eurovision

On 10 December 2025 the Icelandic public broadcaster RÚV announced that it would not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, saying that the participation of the Israeli public broadcaster KAN "has recently caused disunity" among broadcasters and the public.^[4]

UN voting

Iceland voted in favour of the September 2025 General Assembly resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on a two-state solution.^[5]

Notes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations mfa.gov.il, archived 5 August 2011.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, via UNISPAL, Iceland and Palestine confirm establishment of full diplomatic relations United Nations, 15 December 2011, accessed 25 October 2026.
↑ Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel), Foreign Trade Statistics Monthly, Table D1: Trade Countries – Imports and Exports CBS, December 2025 issue (library copy).
↑ Iceland will NOT take part in Eurovision 2026 RÚV, 10 December 2025, accessed 25 October 2026.
↑ United Nations General Assembly, Recorded vote on A/80/L.1/Rev.1: Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, 12 September 2025 (copy hosted by Al-Quds Al-Arabi).

[MFA2011-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations mfa.gov.il, archived 5 August 2011.

[UNISPALIceland2011-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, via UNISPAL, Iceland and Palestine confirm establishment of full diplomatic relations United Nations, 15 December 2011, accessed 25 October 2026.

[CBS-3] Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel), Foreign Trade Statistics Monthly, Table D1: Trade Countries – Imports and Exports CBS, December 2025 issue (library copy).

[RUV2025-4] Iceland will NOT take part in Eurovision 2026 RÚV, 10 December 2025, accessed 25 October 2026.

[UNNY2025-5] United Nations General Assembly, Recorded vote on A/80/L.1/Rev.1: Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, 12 September 2025 (copy hosted by Al-Quds Al-Arabi).

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Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Iceland

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