UN Expands Blacklist Adding 70 Firms Over West Bank Settlements

Geneva, Sep 26 (AP) — The United Nations has expanded its blacklist, adding nearly 70 more companies from 11 countries. These companies are accused of complicity in violating Palestinian human rights by engaging in business activities with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The updated list targets businesses perceived as supporting settlements, which are regarded by many as illegal under international law. The list now includes an array of companies, such as those supplying construction materials, security services, and financial services.

The "database of companies" now features 158 entities, predominantly Israeli, but also includes firms from the United States, Canada, China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Newly added are companies like Germany's Heidelberg Materials, Portugal's Steconfer — a rail systems provider, and Spanish transportation engineering company Ineco. Some familiar names remaining on the list include US-based travel companies Expedia Group, Booking Holdings Inc., and Airbnb, Inc.

The recent revision saw 68 new additions while seven companies were removed. In total, 215 businesses were assessed this round, with more expected to come under scrutiny in the future.

The UN's Human Rights Council, which established the list nearly a decade ago, has been criticized by Israel for its actions. This updated version may further strain Israel's relations with European nations, some of whom have recognized a Palestinian state due to Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

The revised list emerges amidst Israel's veiled threats to annex parts of the West Bank, alongside plans to construct more settlement homes. The recent approval of a contentious settlement project threatens to divide the West Bank, hindering the creation of a Palestinian state. Gaza, no longer featuring Israeli settlements, is not included in this list.

For the international community, a two-state solution implies dividing the territory, allowing Israel to maintain a Jewish majority while enabling Palestinian self-determination. Without such a solution, many fear a future akin to an apartheid-like state with divided populations.

This marks the first update to the list since 2023 when 97 companies were listed, down from the 112 initially published in 2020. Last time, 15 companies, including US giant General Mills, were removed.

Despite lacking legal authority to compel action, the list aims to publicly discredit businesses associated with settlements. The impact on companies' financial outcomes remains unclear.

According to the council, 10 activities relating to settlements, such as polluting Palestinian areas or supplying relevant equipment, could warrant a company's inclusion on the list.

With just one full-time staffer managing the complex task of reviewing claims and liaising with companies, numerous other businesses await assessment.

Backed by significant international support, Palestinians aim to establish an independent state comprising the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. Captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, East Jerusalem has been annexed by Israel, a move unrecognized internationally. Competing claims over East Jerusalem lie at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

Today, more than 500,000 Israelis reside in the West Bank, with over 200,000 in East Jerusalem. The future of Gaza, devastated by conflict, remains uncertain, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the possibility of a Palestinian state.

Both Israel and the US often accuse the Human Rights Council of harboring an anti-Israel bias. In 2018, the Trump administration, condemning the UN's acceptance of autocratic governments accused of rights violations, withdrew the United States from the council.