A United Nations expert has urged countries worldwide to sever all trade and financial ties with Israel, including imposing a complete arms embargo, in response to what she termed an “economy of genocide” perpetuated by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory. Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, delivered this call during a speech at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, presenting a report that identified over 60 companies allegedly involved in supporting Israeli repression and violence against Palestinians.
In her address, Albanese characterized the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory as “apocalyptic,” attributing to Israel one of the most severe genocides in modern history. The report detailed the corporate entities sustaining Israel’s settler-colonial project and their complicity in Israeli repression of Palestinians, from enabling expansion on occupied land to facilitating surveillance and violence against Palestinians.
The report emphasized the need for the international community to hold the private sector accountable for its involvement in Israel’s abuses. Albanese highlighted the responsibility of states and corporations to disengage completely from the Israeli economy to prevent further complicity in human rights violations.
Albanese underscored the profitability of genocide for some entities, pointing to the significant market gains experienced by the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange amid the ongoing conflict. She condemned the companies that have profited from violence and destruction in Gaza while emphasizing the stark contrast between the enrichment of some and the erasure of others.
The report shed light on the military-industrial complex as the economic foundation of the Israeli state, noting the role of arms manufacturers in providing cutting-edge weaponry for military campaigns in the region. It also implicated tech giants in enabling mass surveillance systems and heavy machinery companies in facilitating the destruction of Palestinian property.
Moreover, the report called out international companies like Booking and Airbnb for their involvement in aiding illegal settlements through property listings in Israeli-occupied territories. Albanese stressed the need to address the systemic issues highlighted in the report, urging consumers worldwide to make informed decisions about their engagement with implicated companies.
Albanese’s speech received applause from delegates at the Human Rights Council, with some countries taking steps to ban imports from settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. However, Israel rejected the accusations of genocide in Gaza, labeling the report as groundless and defamatory. The country has faced scrutiny at the International Criminal Court over its actions in Gaza, with allegations of violating the Genocide Convention.
Despite the backlash, the report serves as a crucial resource for consumers and prosecutors seeking to hold companies accountable for their complicity in human rights violations. By shining a spotlight on the economic mechanisms sustaining Israeli oppression, the report calls for international action to end support for Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territory.
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