UN Database On Illegal Israeli Settlements

Sadaka 💭 In 2020, The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) 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.

Continue reading @ OHCHR.

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 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.	E	Israel
2	Airbnb Inc.	E	United States
3	American Israeli Gas Corporation Ltd.	E, G	Israel
4	Amir Marketing and Investments in Agriculture Ltd.	G	Israel
5	Amos Hadar Properties and Investments Ltd.	G	Israel
6	Angel Bakeries	E, G	Israel
7	Archivists Ltd.	G	Israel
8	Ariel Properties Group	E	Israel
9	Ashtrom Industries Ltd.	G	Israel
10	Ashtrom Properties Ltd. [Removed]	G	Israel
11	Avgol Industries 1953 Ltd. [Removed]	G	Israel
12	Bank Hapoalim B.M.	E, F	Israel
13	Bank Leumi Le-Israel B.M.	E, F	Israel
14	Bank of Jerusalem Ltd.	E, F	Israel
15	Beit Haarchiv Ltd.	G	Israel
16	Bezeq, the Israel Telecommunication Corp Ltd.	E, G	Israel
17	Booking.com B.V.	E	Netherlands
18	C Mer Industries Ltd.	B	Israel
19	Café Café Israel Ltd.	E, G	Israel
20	Caliber 3	D, G	Israel
21	Cellcom Israel Ltd.	E, G	Israel
22	Cherriessa Ltd.	G	Israel
23	Chish Nofei Israel Ltd.	G	Israel
24	Citadis Israel Ltd. [Removed]	E, G	Israel
25	Comasco Ltd.	A	Israel
26	Darban Investments Ltd. [Removed]	G	Israel
27	Delek Group Ltd.	E, G	Israel
28	Delta Israel	G	Israel
29	Dor Alon Energy in Israel 1988 Ltd.	E, G	Israel
30	Egis Rail	E	France
31	Egged, Israel Transportation Cooperative Society Ltd.	E	Israel
32	Energix Renewable Energies Ltd. [Removed]	G	Israel
33	EPR Systems Ltd.	E, G	Israel
34	Extal Ltd.	G	Israel
35	Expedia Group Inc.	E	United States
36	Field Produce Ltd.	G	Israel
37	Field Produce Marketing Ltd.	G	Israel
38	First International Bank of Israel Ltd.	E, F	Israel
39	Galshan Shvakim Ltd.	E, D	Israel
40	General Mills Israel Ltd. [Removed]	G	Israel
41	Hadiklaim Israel Date Growers Cooperative Ltd.	G	Israel
42	Hot Mobile Ltd.	E	Israel
43	Hot Telecommunications Systems Ltd.	E	Israel
44	Industrial Buildings Corporation Ltd.	G	Israel
45	Israel Discount Bank Ltd.	E, F	Israel
46	Israel Railways Corporation Ltd.	G, H	Israel
47	Italek Ltd.	E, G	Israel
48	JC Bamford Excavators Ltd.	A	United Kingdom
49	Jerusalem Economy Ltd. [Removed]	G	Israel
50	Kavim Public Transportation Ltd.	E	Israel
51	Lipski Installation and Sanitation Ltd.	G	Israel
52	Matrix IT Ltd.	E, G	Israel
53	Mayer Davidov Garages Ltd.	E, G	Israel
54	Mekorot Water Company Ltd.	G	Israel
55	Mercantile Discount Bank Ltd.	E, F	Israel
56	Merkavim Transportation Technologies Ltd.	E	Israel
57	Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd.	E, F	Israel
58	Modi’in Ezrachi Group Ltd.	E,D	Israel
59	Mordechai Aviv Taasiot Beniyah 1973 Ltd.	G	Israel
60	Motorola Solutions Israel Ltd.	B	Israel
61	Municipal Bank Ltd. [Removed]	F	Israel
62	Naaman Group Ltd.	E, G	Israel
63	Nof Yam Security Ltd.	E, D	Israel
64	Ofertex Industries 1997 Ltd.	G	Israel
65	Opodo Ltd.	E	United Kingdom
66	Bank Otsar Ha-Hayal Ltd.	E, F	Israel
67	Partner Communications Company Ltd.	E, G	Israel
68	Paz Oil Company Ltd.	E, G	Israel
69	Pelegas Ltd. [Removed]	G	Israel
70	Pelephone Communications Ltd.	E, G	Israel
71	Proffimat S.R. Ltd.	G	Israel
72	Rami Levy Chain Stores Hashikma Marketing 2006 Ltd.	E, G	Israel
73	Rami Levy Hashikma Marketing Communication Ltd.	E, G	Israel
74	Re/Max Israel	E	Israel
75	Shalgal Food Ltd.	G	Israel
76	Shapir Engineering and Industry Ltd.	E, G	Israel
77	Shufersal Ltd.	E, G	Israel
78	Sonol Israel Ltd.	E, G	Israel
79	Superbus Ltd.	E	Israel
80	Supergum Industries 1969 Ltd.	G	Israel
81	Tahal Group International B.V.	E	Netherlands
82	TripAdvisor Inc.	E	United States
83	Twitoplast Ltd.	G	Israel
84	Unikowsky Maoz Ltd.	G	Israel
85	YES	E	Israel
86	Zakai Agricultural Know-how and inputs Ltd.	G	Israel
87	ZF Development and Construction	G	Israel
88	ZMH Hammermand Ltd.	G	Israel
89	Zorganika Ltd. [Removed]	G	Israel
90	Zriha Hlavin Industries Ltd.	G	Israel

(b) Business enterprises involved as parent companies

No.	Business Enterprise	Category of listed activity	State concerned
91	Alon Blue Square Israel Ltd.	E, G	Israel
92	Alstom S.A.	E, G	France
93	Altice Europe N.V.	E	Netherlands
94	Amnon Mesilot Ltd. [Removed]	E	Israel
95	Ashtrom Group Ltd. [Removed]	G	Israel
96	Booking Holdings Inc.	E	United States
97	Brand Industries Ltd. [Removed]	G	Israel
98	Delta Galil Industries Ltd.	G	Israel
99	eDreams ODIGEO S.A.	E	Luxembourg
100	Egis S.A.	E	France
101	Electra Ltd.	E	Israel
102	Export Investment Company Ltd.	E, F	Israel
103	General Mills Inc. [Removed]	G	United States
104	Hadar Group	G	Israel
105	Hamat Group Ltd.	G	Israel
106	Indorama Ventures P.C.L. [Removed]	G	Thailand
107	Kardan N.V.	E	Netherlands
108	Mayer’s Cars and Trucks Co. Ltd.	E	Israel
109	Motorola Solutions Inc.	B	United States
110	Natoon Group	E, D	Israel
111	Villar International Ltd.	G	Israel

(c) Business enterprises involved as licensors or franchisors

No.	Business Enterprise	Category of listed activity	State concerned
112	Greenkote P.L.C.	G	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.