The United Nations has added 68 companies from 11 countries to its blacklist of firms linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying their business activities contribute to violations of Palestinian rights. The updated list, released on Friday, now includes 158 companies. Most are Israeli, but others are based in the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and China. What is the blacklist? The UN Human Rights Council set up the database almost ten years ago to identify companies connected to Israeli settlements, which much of the international community views as illegal under international law. The list is not legally binding. It is designed to “name and shame” businesses that the UN says provide support to the settlements through ten types of activity. These include supplying construction materials and machinery, offering security or surveillance, financial services, and enabling travel and accommodation in the settlements. Who is on the list? The new entries include German building materials producer Heidelberg Materials, Portuguese rail company Steconfer, and Spanish transport engineering firm Ineco. US-based travel firms Expedia, Booking Holdings, and Airbnb remain on the list. Seven companies were removed this year. In total, 215 companies were reviewed in this update, and hundreds more could be examined in future. Why does it matter? Israel has repeatedly condemned the database, calling it biased. The new update comes as Israel has approved thousands of new settlement homes and signalled possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. The UN says these settlements undermine the possibility of a two-state solution. “Dividing the territory would leave Israel as a state with a Jewish majority and allow Palestinians to realise their right to self-determination,” the report noted. Without such a solution, many fear the outcome would be one state in which Israelis rule over Palestinians. (With inputs from AP)
