The United Nations Human Rights Office expanded the database of companies linked to activities in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, by adding 61 new companies, bringing the total number of listed companies to 214 companies, amid renewed Israeli rejection of this UN step.
According to Reuters, the list consists mostly of Israeli companies, along with companies belonging to 10 other countries, including the United States, France, Germany, and China. The activities of these companies are distributed across multiple sectors, most notably energy, food, hospitality, transportation, and agriculture.
The most prominent newly added names included the Israeli pesticide company “ADAMA” (affiliated with the Chinese-owned Syngenta Group), the Israeli real estate investment company “Alony Hetz”, along with the Spanish logistics company “Salvat Logistica”. Thus, these entities join companies previously listed, such as the home rental platform “Airbnb” and the travel company “Expedia.”
The database is based on a UN mandate dating back to 2020, when the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued its first version to companies engaged in activities related to settlements in the Palestinian territories. Criteria for inclusion include providing services or equipment to demolish Palestinian buildings, monitoring settlement services, or transportation activities that support their continuity.
In the same context, about 60 other companies were evaluated but not included because they did not meet the approved standards, while other companies were removed from the list following a re-evaluation of their situations, such as the online travel companies “Opodo” and “eDreams”, because there were reasonable reasons confirming that they would not be involved again in the relevant activities.
Listed companies face potential repercussions of being subjected to boycott or divestment campaigns due to their activities in the settlements. On the other hand, the Israeli mission to the United Nations rejected the database, describing it as a “distorted” mechanism issued by a body with an “automatic majority against Israel,” and accusing it of using the list to “persecute” the Hebrew state.
It should be noted that Israel considers the West Bank to be disputed territory and not occupied, while the United Nations confirms that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories represent a clear violation of international law. This step coincides with the escalation of international controversy over settlement expansion in the West Bank – which the Palestinians seek to make part of their future state – in parallel with measures taken recently by several countries regarding commercial dealings with settlements.
