The United Nations human rights office has added 61 more companies to a list of those operating in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which the UN considers against international law. This list, first created in 2020, now contains 214 companies from various countries, including Israel, France, Germany, China, and the US. The purpose of this list is to put pressure on Israel regarding its expansion of settlements in the West Bank, where over 3 million Palestinians live.
New companies on the list include ADAMA, a pesticide maker, Alony Hetz, a real estate firm, and Spain’s Salvat Logistica. They join companies like Expedia and Airbnb already on the database. Israel has stated that this list unfairly targets companies working legally and is a “distorted mechanism” designed to “persecute” the Jewish state. Recent increases in settler attacks against Palestinians have led some countries, like Britain, France, and Canada, to block imports from settlements.
The UN rights office evaluated companies involved in sectors such as energy, food, and transportation, looking for evidence of activities that violate Palestinian self-determination. Examples of such activities include providing equipment for demolishing Palestinian buildings or offering transport services that support the settlements. Some companies, like Opodo and eDreams, have been removed from the list after reassessing their activities and confirming they are no longer involved in the practices that led to their inclusion. eDreams stated it had removed listings in illegal settlements. Palestinians aim for the West Bank to be part of their future independent state.
With information from Reuters
