In 2020, the The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a listing of all businesses involved in the illegal Israeli settlements. It was a highly significant development - naming those in the corporate world complicit with the war crime that is Israel's settlement enterprise.
The challenge now is to ensure that the database is used an active document and furthermore is regularly updated. Ensuring this happens is a core part of Sadaka's advocacy work with representatives of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament).
Update of the UN Database, 2023
On 30 June 2023, the OHCHR issued an update of the UN Database. A key outcome of the update stipulated that “of the 112 business enterprises included in the 2020 database report A/HRC/43/71, OHCHR found reasonable grounds for the removal of 15 business enterprises on basis that they were ceasing or were no longer involved in one or more of the listed activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Several companies with offices in Ireland remain on the UN Database following the update. These include Airbnb, Bookings.com, and Trip Advisor. The Irish government must ensure that these companies abide by international law as a prerequisite to operating in the in the country. The Database was established with an intention to support State action against corporate involvement in the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Unfortunately, Ireland is yet to take concrete action in line with the Database and its update.
While the update of the Database is welcome, it is not sufficient in fulfilling its UN mandate. The mandate, according to Human Rights Council resolution 31/36, has called for consistent and yearly updates of the Database to ensure that businesses newly involved in the Israeli settlement enterprise and associated regime are added on, and appropriately warned to cease business by the OHCHR. Likewise, the yearly update is necessary to ensure that businesses are removed from the Database once they have ceased operations as part of the occupation apparatus.
The Database has only been updated once since it was published in 2020. In large part, this is due to the push back that the OHCHR continues to receive by certain States, including EU States, when any meaningful and concrete measures are adopted by the UN to address human rights violations and abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Extract from the UN OHCHR Report (February 2018)
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has prepared the present report pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 31/36 on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan.
Database of all business enterprises involved in the activities detailed in paragraph 96 of the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (February 2020)
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has prepared the present report pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 31/36 on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan.
The database below enables you to make active choices about who you give your business to. The 15 enterprises found to be no longer involved in one or more of the listed activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and henceforth removed from this list, are listed in green.
All the other companies below are actively profiting from the denial of human rights to the Palestinian people. Click on the category of listed activity to see what each company is involved in.
(a) Business enterprises involved in listed activities
No. | Business Enterprise | Category of listed activity | State concerned |
1 | Afikim Public Transportation Ltd. | Israel | |
2 | Airbnb Inc. | United States | |
3 | American Israeli Gas Corporation Ltd. | Israel | |
4 | Amir Marketing and Investments in Agriculture Ltd. | Israel | |
5 | Amos Hadar Properties and Investments Ltd. | Israel | |
6 | Angel Bakeries | Israel | |
7 | Archivists Ltd. | Israel | |
8 | Ariel Properties Group | Israel | |
9 | Ashtrom Industries Ltd. | Israel | |
10 | Ashtrom Properties Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
11 | Avgol Industries 1953 Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
12 | Bank Hapoalim B.M. | Israel | |
13 | Bank Leumi Le-Israel B.M. | Israel | |
14 | Bank of Jerusalem Ltd. | Israel | |
15 | Beit Haarchiv Ltd. | Israel | |
16 | Bezeq, the Israel Telecommunication Corp Ltd. | Israel | |
17 | Booking.com B.V. | Netherlands | |
18 | C Mer Industries Ltd. | Israel | |
19 | Café Café Israel Ltd. | Israel | |
20 | Caliber 3 | Israel | |
21 | Cellcom Israel Ltd. | Israel | |
22 | Cherriessa Ltd. | Israel | |
23 | Chish Nofei Israel Ltd. | Israel | |
24 | Citadis Israel Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
25 | Comasco Ltd. | Israel | |
26 | Darban Investments Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
27 | Delek Group Ltd. | Israel | |
28 | Delta Israel | Israel | |
29 | Dor Alon Energy in Israel 1988 Ltd. | Israel | |
30 | Egis Rail | France | |
31 | Egged, Israel Transportation Cooperative Society Ltd. | Israel | |
32 | Energix Renewable Energies Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
33 | EPR Systems Ltd. | Israel | |
34 | Extal Ltd. | Israel | |
35 | Expedia Group Inc. | United States | |
36 | Field Produce Ltd. | Israel | |
37 | Field Produce Marketing Ltd. | Israel | |
38 | First International Bank of Israel Ltd. | Israel | |
39 | Galshan Shvakim Ltd. | Israel | |
40 | General Mills Israel Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
41 | Hadiklaim Israel Date Growers Cooperative Ltd. | Israel | |
42 | Hot Mobile Ltd. | Israel | |
43 | Hot Telecommunications Systems Ltd. | Israel | |
44 | Industrial Buildings Corporation Ltd. | Israel | |
45 | Israel Discount Bank Ltd. | Israel | |
46 | Israel Railways Corporation Ltd. | Israel | |
47 | Italek Ltd. | Israel | |
48 | JC Bamford Excavators Ltd. | United Kingdom | |
49 | Jerusalem Economy Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
50 | Kavim Public Transportation Ltd. | Israel | |
51 | Lipski Installation and Sanitation Ltd. | Israel | |
52 | Matrix IT Ltd. | Israel | |
53 | Mayer Davidov Garages Ltd. | Israel | |
54 | Mekorot Water Company Ltd. | Israel | |
55 | Mercantile Discount Bank Ltd. | Israel | |
56 | Merkavim Transportation Technologies Ltd. | Israel | |
57 | Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd. | Israel | |
58 | Modi’in Ezrachi Group Ltd. | Israel | |
59 | Mordechai Aviv Taasiot Beniyah 1973 Ltd. | Israel | |
60 | Motorola Solutions Israel Ltd. | Israel | |
61 | Municipal Bank Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
62 | Naaman Group Ltd. | Israel | |
63 | Nof Yam Security Ltd. | Israel | |
64 | Ofertex Industries 1997 Ltd. | Israel | |
65 | Opodo Ltd. | United Kingdom | |
66 | Bank Otsar Ha-Hayal Ltd. | Israel | |
67 | Partner Communications Company Ltd. | Israel | |
68 | Paz Oil Company Ltd. | Israel | |
69 | Pelegas Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
70 | Pelephone Communications Ltd. | Israel | |
71 | Proffimat S.R. Ltd. | Israel | |
72 | Rami Levy Chain Stores Hashikma Marketing 2006 Ltd. | Israel | |
73 | Rami Levy Hashikma Marketing Communication Ltd. | Israel | |
74 | Re/Max Israel | Israel | |
75 | Shalgal Food Ltd. | Israel | |
76 | Shapir Engineering and Industry Ltd. | Israel | |
77 | Shufersal Ltd. | Israel | |
78 | Sonol Israel Ltd. | Israel | |
79 | Superbus Ltd. | Israel | |
80 | Supergum Industries 1969 Ltd. | Israel | |
81 | Tahal Group International B.V. | Netherlands | |
82 | TripAdvisor Inc. | United States | |
83 | Twitoplast Ltd. | Israel | |
84 | Unikowsky Maoz Ltd. | Israel | |
85 | YES | Israel | |
86 | Zakai Agricultural Know-how and inputs Ltd. | Israel | |
87 | ZF Development and Construction | Israel | |
88 | ZMH Hammermand Ltd. | Israel | |
89 | Zorganika Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
90 | Zriha Hlavin Industries Ltd. | Israel |
(b) Business enterprises involved as parent companies
No. | Business Enterprise | Category of listed activity | State concerned |
91 | Alon Blue Square Israel Ltd. | Israel | |
92 | Alstom S.A. | France | |
93 | Altice Europe N.V. | Netherlands | |
94 | Amnon Mesilot Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
95 | Ashtrom Group Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
96 | Booking Holdings Inc. | United States | |
97 | Brand Industries Ltd. [Removed] | Israel | |
98 | Delta Galil Industries Ltd. | Israel | |
99 | eDreams ODIGEO S.A. | Luxembourg | |
100 | Egis S.A. | France | |
101 | Electra Ltd. | Israel | |
102 | Export Investment Company Ltd. | Israel | |
103 | General Mills Inc. [Removed] | United States | |
104 | Hadar Group | Israel | |
105 | Hamat Group Ltd. | Israel | |
106 | Indorama Ventures P.C.L. [Removed] | Thailand | |
107 | Kardan N.V. | Netherlands | |
108 | Mayer’s Cars and Trucks Co. Ltd. | Israel | |
109 | Motorola Solutions Inc. | United States | |
110 | Natoon Group | Israel | |
111 | Villar International Ltd. | Israel |
(c) Business enterprises involved as licensors or franchisors
No. | Business Enterprise | Category of listed activity | State concerned |
112 | Greenkote P.L.C. | United Kingdom |
Listed Activities
(A) The supply of equipment and materials facilitating the construction and the expansion of settlements and the wall, and associated infrastructures;
(B) The supply of surveillance and identification equipment for settlements, the wall and checkpoints directly linked with settlements;
(C) The supply of equipment for the demolition of housing and property, the destruction of agricultural farms, greenhouses, olive groves and crops;
(D) The supply of security services, equipment and materials to enterprises operating in settlements;
(E) The provision of services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements, including transport;
(F) Banking and financial operations helping to develop, expand or maintain settlements and their activities, including loans for housing and the development of businesses;
(G) The use of natural resources, in particular water and land, for business purposes;
(H) Pollution, and the dumping of waste in or its transfer to Palestinian villages;
(I) Captivity of the Palestinian financial and economic markets, as well as practices that disadvantage Palestinian enterprises, including through restrictions on movement, administrative and legal constraints;
(J) Use of benefits and reinvestments of enterprises owned totally or partially by settlers for developing, expanding and maintaining the settlements.