Trade with israeli settlements - updated april 2013

Trade with Israeli settlements:
A briefing for Friends

Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) are illegal
under international humanitarian law. They cause harm and poverty to
Palestinians and are an obstacle to peace. The international community has
repeatedly condemned them.
Yet settlements have grown and prospered. Furthermore, despite their
illegality, many countries are trading with them. Goods produced in or sourced
from settlements, including fruit and vegetables, processed food, wine and
household goods are sold throughout Europe. Furthermore, companies based
in or operating in the UK sell goods and services to settlement populations,
while others invest in settlement economic activity.
Trade helps bolster settlement economies through a complex network of
producers, exporters, investors, retailers and consumers. These trade
activities contribute to the settlements’ permanence and indirectly undermine
efforts to achieve peace and security for both Palestinians and Israelis.
In 2011, The Religious Society of Friends in Britain (Quakers) committed
to a boycott of Israeli settlement produce. We are also calling on
companies and the UK and EU governments to withdraw from trading with
Israeli settlements. The boycott is a non-violent action designed to support
efforts to build peace in the region. It is not directed at all Israeli products.
There are two parts to this briefing. The first half, Trade with Israeli
settlements:
 explains why settlements are an obstacle to peace, and how companies, governments and consumers currently support the permanence of settlements through trade;  provides information on the UK and EU policies towards trade with  argues that trade with Israeli settlements should cease.  suggests how Quakers can take action on Israeli settlements;  names some of the companies that trade with Israeli settlements.

Trade with Israeli settlements
Israeli settlements: illegal and an obstacle to peace
Israeli settlements are areas inhabited by Israeli and Jewish civilians upon land which was occupied by Israel in the 1967 war against Egypt, Syria and Jordan. There are over 200 Israeli settlements and settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. They have a combined population of almost half a million people. Settlements are illegal under international law (specifically article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention), which forbids an occupying power from transferring its population onto occupied land. The settlements have been repeatedly condemned by much of the international community including the UK government and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).1 ‘In 2011, 3,500
Under the Annapolis ‘road map’2 agreed in 2007 the Israeli government is committed to halting the expansion of settlements and dismantling settlement outposts. However, Israeli activist group Peace Now reported that in 2011, 3,500 units were under construction in settlements, with a 20% increase in construction starting from 2010. In the same year the Israeli government recognized 11 new settlements in the West Bank as legal under Israeli law and announced plans to give the same status to more settlement areas3. The longer the settlements remain in place and the bigger they get, the harder it will be for them to be removed as part of a negotiated settlement. This represents a major barrier in reaching a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Settlements and Palestinians
Settlements cause suffering, poverty and discrimination to the 2.4 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. Palestinians are forced to live under Israeli military rule, whilst settlers live under Israeli civilian law. 1 UNSC resolution number 465 for example, “Determines . that Israel’s policy and practices of settling parts of its population and new immigrants in those territories … constitute[s] a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.” In 2004, the International Court of Justice advised that the Israeli settlements are in breach of international law. 2 This refers to a joint declaration made by the Government of the state of Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation in November 2007, under the auspices of the Unites States Government. The text of the declaration can be read at: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article2956790.ece 3 Torpedoing the Two State Solution: Summary of 2011 in the Settlement, report by Peace Now, http://peacenow.org.il/eng/2011Summary

Palestinians have to compete unfavourably with the settlers for limited natural
resources like land and water. According to the UN, 43% of land in the West
Bank is off-limits to Palestinians because of its allocation to the settlements’
local and regional councils4. International law requires an occupier to protect
and enable the freedom of movement of the people already in the territory it
occupies. However, in order to enable settlers to travel safely and quickly into
Israel and to other settlements, a network of roads reserved almost
exclusively for Israelis has been built throughout the West Bank. Over 500
physical obstacles such as checkpoints, earth mounds, and barrier gates
have been built which restrict Palestinians’ movement. These are
supplemented by the hundreds of temporary ‘flying checkpoints’ that are set
up on a monthly basis by the Israeli security forces. These deprive
Palestinians of their ability to move freely, and fragment the Palestinian
community. Checkpoints are frequently overcrowded, their opening hours
unpredictable and the permits required to pass them can be revoked at any
time. Palestinians often face severe delays, uncertainty and humiliation in
order to get to their land, work, school, university, hospital, mosque or church.
Movement restrictions and confiscation of land are stifling the Palestinian
economy. Between 2000 and 2007 the UN estimated that transport costs of
Palestinian businesses almost doubled, largely because of delays and
diversions caused by checkpoints and restrictions faced by Palestinians in
use of road networks. Movement restrictions in the West Bank and the
blockade in Gaza are estimated to cost
the Palestinian economy $600 - 800m5
year. This amounts to 13% of Palestinian national income and 10% of total annual employment.6 Palestinian national income estimated as costing 13%
income and 10% of annual
Palestinians now live below the poverty line.8 In recent years, violence by hard-line Israeli settlers against Palestinians has increased. Crops and trees have been burnt and Palestinians have been prevented from reaching their land to cultivate it or to graze their animals. There have also been hundreds of injuries and some deaths. Settlers can carry out such attacks with almost complete impunity. 4 The humanitarian impact of Israeli settlement policies United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Jan 2012. Available at: http://www.ochaopt.org/reports.aspx?id=103 5 Approximately £371 million to £495 million at July 2011 exchange rates. 6 Report on UNCTAD assistance to the Palestinian people: Developments in the economy of the occupied Palestinian territory, United Nations Conference for Trade and Development. July 2010 p.8. Available at: http://www.unctad.org/en/docs//tdb57d4_en.pdf 7 UNCTAD 2010 p.2 8 UNCTAD statistics on the Palestinian Economy. Available at: http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemID=4967&lang=1

Many Palestinians are employed by industrial and agricultural businesses
based in Israeli settlements. However, Palestinian workers are often severely
exploited. In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that Palestinians working in
settlements should enjoy the same rights as workers throughout Israel, an
outcome strongly opposed by the Israeli State. Despite this ruling,
Palestinians working in the settlement industrial zones generally receive two
thirds of Israeli minimum wage, and those working in agricultural businesses
generally receive one third. According to a 2009 report by workers’ rights
organisation Kav LaOved, children are employed in some settlements during
picking seasons. It also reports workplace safety to be poor, and workers
commonly receive little or no help in gaining medical treatment for work-based
injuries. Many Israeli companies employ Palestinians through third-party
contractors who ensure that workers do not demand higher pay or other
entitlements by threatening them with job losses. Palestinians are dependent
on their employers in gaining work permits from the Israeli Civil
Administration9. Conditions were made only more difficult in May 2010 when
Palestinian authorities passed a law making it illegal for Palestinians to work
in Israeli settlements. With the damage to local economies caused by the
Israeli occupation, many Palestinians have little choice but to continue
working in settlements illegally.

Trade with settlements is currently legal

Despite the settlements’ illegality, it is legal under UK and EU law to trade with
Israeli settlement businesses and import settlement produce. Fruit and
vegetables, processed food, wine, toiletries and other household goods
produced in or using raw materials from settlements are legally and frequently
sold throughout Europe. Furthermore, a number of companies either based or
populations of Israeli settlements or invest in settlement economic activity. Estimates of the extent of Europe’s trade billion1011 Whatever the exact value, this contributes to the settlements’ permanence and therefore undermines efforts to achieve peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. The UK government, whilst repeatedly stating that settlements themselves are illegal and showing concerns about settlement trade12, maintains that the trade remains legal. 9 Palestinian Workers in Israeli West Bank Settlements: Annual Report 2009. By Salwa Alenat, Kav LaOved. Accessed 12th Dec 2011. http://www.kavlaoved.org.il/media-view_eng.asp?id=2764 10 Approximately £123 million to £1.2 billion at July 2011 exchange rates. 11 UK economic links with Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory - A research paper prepared for the Sir Joseph Hotung Programme for Law, Human Rights and Peace Building in the Middle East, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, February 2009 p.9.

Do imports from the settlements break EU trade rules?

The European Union has a preferential trade agreement with Israel, which
allows Israeli products to be imported into the EU at a reduced level of import
duties. The EU does not allow settlement products to benefit from this
agreement, because settlements are not recognised to be part of Israel.
However, there is evidence that some exporters are circumventing this rule by
exporting settlement goods labelled as those of Israel. This amounts to tax
evasion and it also means that settlement goods can be sold at a lower price
than if the correct level of taxation were paid. EU member states customs
authorities are responsible for policing this system. However, they have
limited powers and resources with which to do so. It is likely that some
settlement goods are unlawfully benefitting from the Israel-EU preferential
trade agreement.
Who profits from trade with Israeli settlements?
Trade with Israeli settlements occurs through a complex network of
companies. These companies include:
Growers and Producers

Israeli businesses produce a wide range of commodities in the occupied
Palestinian territories. These businesses operate on occupied Palestinian
land and often use local resources such as water supplies. Many settlement
businesses, like Mehadrin Tnuport Export (MTEX)13, deal in fresh produce
such as fruit and vegetables. Some large exporting companies buy fresh
produce from smaller businesses as part of their operations. Companies like
plastic goods producers Keter14 manufacture or assemble products for export.

Companies supplying to settlement consumers

The establishment of Israeli communities in the occupied Palestinian
territories provides a new market for global companies. Companies offer
goods and services to settlements and hence increase their permanence.
These include security and technology companies, like Motorola15, who
supply the Israeli Defence Force with equipment for the surveillance and
military protection of settlements. Other companies contribute services directly
to the Israeli settler market. For example, activists are calling on the company
Veolia16 to cease its construction of a tram link in East Jerusalem to
settlement communities in the West Bank.
12 As well as the labelling advice and customs investigations mentioned in this briefing, the UK government has highlighted concern about trade with settlements to EU partners. It discourages British citizens from buying properties in settlements by publicising the potential pitfalls of investing in illegal 13 Reported in Targeting Israeli Apartheid by Anderson, T. Et al. (2011), pub. Corporate Watch (p.27) 14 Report by Who profits? website www.whoprofits.org/Company%20Info.php?id=679 15 Reported in Targeting Israeli Apartheid by Anderson, T. Et al. (2011), pub. Corporate Watch (p.292) 16 www.waronwant.org/campaigns/justice-for-palestine/hide/action/17126-dump-veolia Investors and Shareholders

Businesses operating in Israeli settlements are often supported through
investment from banks and other companies throughout the world. These
companies in turn are supported through pension or investment schemes.
One of the most significant UK banks investing in companies operating in or
supplying to settlements is Barclays. The British bank invests in a number of
companies, including France Telecom’s Orange brand name, which owns
mobile phone antenna in settlements, and Motorola which supplies
technology to settlements and the Israeli Defence Forces protecting them17.
Retailers

Israeli settlement produce is sold by a number of UK retailers. Some
supermarkets have been found to stock fresh produce like fruit, vegetables
and flowers from settlements. When QPSW contacted the major UK
supermarkets about stocking settlement produce, most companies stated that
they do not currently stock fresh produce from settlements. However, only the
Co-operative stated that they have a policy against stocking settlement
produce. Tesco are still found to stock a range of settlement goods.
A number of retailers stock manufactured or processed goods supplied from
settlement companies. Argos currently stocks a wide range and a large
quantity of goods by Keter Plastics18 (see Growers, Producers and Exporters).
Products by Sodastream, settlement manufacturers of home sparkling drinks
machines, are sold by John Lewis, Comet, Argos, Asda, Sainsbury’s19 and
other stores.

Quakers and the boycott of Israeli settlement produce
In 2009, Christian Palestinians issued a call to Christians and churches
around the world to nonviolently resist the injustices of the Israeli occupation
of the Palestinian Territories20. In response to this, Britain Yearly Meeting
committed to collectively boycott produce from Israeli settlements and
companies that derive significant profit from trade with Israeli settlements.

Consumer campaigns have contributed to most of the main UK supermarket
chains withdrawing settlement fruit and vegetables from their shelves over the
last few years. However, many still stock manufactured or processed goods
from companies that operate in settlements. Other UK-based companies profit
from the construction and protection of the settlements and their
infrastructure, and the consumer markets of the settlement populations, by
selling goods and services. QPSW is of the view is that all trade with
settlements should be stopped. QPSW is calling on UK companies to end
trade with and investment in Israeli settlements. We recognise that for many
17 Reported in Targeting Israeli Apartheid by Anderson, T. Et al. (2011), pub. Corporate Watch (p.291-2) 18 As on Argos’s website www.argos.co.uk accessed 20/12/11 19 As on the retailers’ websites accessed 20/12/11 20 Christian Palestinians’s Kairos Document can be read at www.kairospalestine.ps/?q=content/document global corporations, such as Barclays, Veolia or Orange, investment in settlements amounts to a small proportion of their overall business activity. However, these investments bring significant support to settlements and increase their permanence. We therefore ask these companies to cease such activity. QPSW is also calling on the UK government to work within its power to end trade with Israeli settlements and, as a minimum, to ensure better labelling of all settlement goods entering the UK in order to allow
consumers to boycott such produce.

Quakers are not alone in calling for a boycott of settlement goods. Amongst
other groups in Britain, The Methodist Church has also announced a boycott.
However, boycotts have also formed a key method of resistance for activists
in Palestine and Israel opposing settlement construction. Following the
recognition that Palestinian markets provide substantial support to settlement
industries, Palestinian boycotts of settlement goods, endorsed by Palestinian
authorities, have meant that settlement factories have been forced to
decrease production in recent years21.
Peace activists in Israel have also called for
boycotts of settlement goods. However, in July 2011 the Israeli parliament passed a controversial law making it illegal for any person or group to promote boycotts of Israel or its settlements. This restriction on Israeli groups makes the need for action from others around the world all the more urgent22. Friends have not decided to boycott all Israeli goods. The differentiation between settlement and Israeli goods reflects the difference between the illegal status of the settlements and the legitimate, internationally recognised, state of Israel. This distinction is a fundamental one that any future peace process will need to take into account. By emphasising it we show our desire for a just and sustainable peace for both Israeli and Palestinians: a peace that is based on the tenets of international law. The greatest effect of our boycott may well not be an economic one. By taking action and by speaking out we add our voice to many others who seek an end to the occupation. We show our solidarity with all who are suffering in this conflict. We hope to build the political momentum that can persuade governments, companies and others to undertake actions that support an end to the occupation and bring about a just peace. 21 www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/29/palestinian-boycott-israeli-settlement-goods 22 www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14111925


The need for accurate labelling
If ‘ethical consumers’ are to make informed decisions about whether or not to
buy settlement goods, it is imperative that these goods are accurately
labelled. There has been some progress in this area, but more needs to
happen.

Since December 2009, UK retailers are advised to label fruit and vegetables
in a way that differentiates between crops grown in settlements and those
grown in Palestinian farms in the West Bank. The Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recommends ‘West Bank
(Israeli settlement) and ‘West Bank (Palestinian) respectively. The few major
UK supermarkets that continue to source settlement goods do label them in
this way. However, the use of this wording is voluntary; not all retailers choose
to or are able to use it. Furthermore, it has been reported that some Israeli
exporters routinely mix settlement produce with that produced on Israeli
farms, claiming that the entire consignment has originated in Israel. If true,
this may undermine the labelling systems implemented by UK retailers.
There are no specific rules on how other settlement goods should be labelled.
This means that many goods manufactured in or using raw materials from
settlements continue to be labelled as Israeli. Some companies such as Soda
Stream and Keter plastics have factories in settlements and also in Israel, but
their products are not labelled in a way that enables UK consumers to identify
where individual products may have been manufactured.






Taking Action

In April 2011 Meeting for Sufferings, the representative body of Quakers in
Britain, announced a boycott of produce from Israeli settlements in the
occupied Palestinian territories. In July, the Central Committee of Quaker
Peace & Social Witness further called on Friends to boycott companies which
profit significantly from economic activities in Israeli settlements. The
committee also asks Friends to engage in advocacy for better labelling of all
settlement goods.
This section of the briefing provides advice on the different ways that Friends
can take action on trade with Israeli settlements.
QPSW will have further information from late Spring 2012 advising Friends on
how to engage with MPs on this issue.
1. What not to buy
This section gives information and advice on how to identify settlement goods.
In a number of places we suggest that Friends should ask retailers to confirm
the origin of products before deciding whether or not to buy them. Advice on
doing this can be found in appendix 1.
1.1 Fruit and vegetables
Fresh fruit and vegetables including dates, herbs, peppers, tomatoes, stone
fruit, figs and potatoes make up a high proportion of the settlement goods
exported to the UK. Although you can buy these products at any time of year,
you are more likely to find them in the winter months when they are out of
season in the UK and Europe.
How to identify settlement goods: Look for the labels ‘West Bank (Israeli
settlement)’, ‘West Bank’, and ‘Jordan Valley’. ‘West Bank (Israeli settlement)’
goods definitely come from settlements23. ‘West Bank’ or ‘Jordan Valley’
labels may come from settlements or from within Israel and you should ask
retailers to confirm their exact origin before deciding whether or not to buy
them. Any goods labelled ‘West Bank (Palestinian)’ come from Palestinian
farms in the West Bank and are not a cause for concern.

What about goods labelled as produce of Israel? Some campaigners claim
that Israeli exporters such as Arava, Hadiklaim and Mehadrin-Tnuport Export
Company (MTex) routinely mix settlement produce with crops from farms
situated within the state of Israel and that this results in some settlement
goods being incorrectly labelled as being from Israel. The UK government has
made clear that it is unlawful for fresh produce from settlements to be labelled
as ‘Produce of Israel’. Most supermarket chains claim to have sophisticated
tracking systems designed to prevent this from happening. BYM is not
advocating the boycotting of Israeli goods. Friends are encouraged to ask
23 In December 2009 the UK government issued guidelines suggesting that fresh produce from settlements (but not manufactured goods) should be labelled in this way. Many supermarkets follow this guidance. However the guidelines remain voluntary and some retailers may choose not to follow them.

retailers to confirm the provenance of goods before deciding whether to buy
them.
1.2 Manufactured/processed goods
Table A on page 13 lists a number of settlement products and brands which
you might find on sale in the UK. Bear in mind that some companies operating
in settlements or sourcing raw materials from the occupied territories also
operate within or source raw materials from Israel. Many of these companies
appear to label all of these goods as products of Israel, which can make it
difficult to differentiate between settlement and Israeli products without asking
retailers for further information. However, Friends should bear in mind that the
boycott covers not just settlement products but companies deriving significant
profit from settlements. This therefore includes all products from companies in
Table A.

2. Speaking out
Remember, your actions will be more effective if you tell companies about the boycott and the reasons for it. This involves calling on retailers to stop stocking settlement goods and other companies to cease operations that support settlement economies. Please let QPSW know about any action you take or responses you get. Contact settlementproduce@quaker.org.uk or call Suzanne Ismail on 020 7663 1055. Engaging with Companies

Retailers
The Co-operative have already put in place policy that stops them stocking settlement produce on ethical grounds. A number of other supermarkets, although have not adopted a policy, have currently stopped stocking fruit and vegetables from settlements, partly as a result of pressure from customers. Other retailers will be more likely to follow this example if they know that their customers don’t want to buy settlement goods. Below are some actions you could take with retailers.  Write to retailers to let them know about the boycott. Ask them to stop stocking settlement goods. You may wish to congratulate those retailers who do this already.  Find information about different supermarket policies on settlement goods, template letters and contact details on QPSW partner the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility’s website: www.eccr.org.uk/module-htmlpages-display-pid-64.html  Speak to the store manager or a customer service representative about any settlement products you find and explain why you are boycotting them. Some products will be labelled in a way that makes it unclear whether they derive from Israeli settlements. For example, retailers not yet following DEFRA guidelines may be selling produce labelled simply as ‘West Bank’. Manufactured products, not yet covered by these guidelines, may be labelled in the same way, or mislabelled as products of Israel. In these cases you may wish to ask the retailer to confirm the origin of particular products.
Other companies trading with or investing in settlements
As the first half of this briefing describes, it is not just supermarkets that
contribute to the permanence of Israeli settlements (see Who profits from
Israeli settlements? p.5). Companies supplying goods and services to
settlement consumers and financial investors also bolster the presence of
settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. Table B on page 16 provides a
list of such companies. Some of these companies do not sell goods or
services that would be available to you as an individual consumer. However,
many of these companies are invested in by pension providers or other
investment schemes. It may be that your place of work or education, your
local authority or other institutions you are connected to, may be customers of
or serviced by these companies. Whether this is the case or not, call on these
companies to cease their activities that support settlement economies. It is
likely that for the companies on Table B, investments in Israeli settlements
make up a very small proportion of their business activity. It is therefore worth
engaging with such companies to persuade them to cease such investments.

Engage with your MP
Write to your MP and explain the damage caused by Israeli settlements to the
chances for peace between Israelis and the Palestinians and the resultant
suffering in the daily lives of Palestinians.

Outline Britain Yearly Meeting’s concern that trade with settlements is
undermining efforts to achieve peace and security for both Israelis and
Palestinians. Say that you would like the UK to stop trading with settlements.
Until this is done, ask your MP to press the government to ensure that
retailers label all settlement goods so that consumers can identify them. The
existing guidelines on the labelling of fresh produce should be made
mandatory and be extended to all other goods.
Ask your MP to:
o Raise these points with the Foreign Secretary, the Secretary of State for the Environment and Rural Affairs, (responsible for food labelling) and the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills (responsible for labelling of other goods). o Press Ministers to continue to raise concerns about settlement


Speaking out in your local community
You may wish to tell others in your community why Friends are boycotting
settlement goods. You could let other consumers know by highlighting those
retailers that still stock settlement produce. This could be done by visual
actions in public space, or writing to local media. You may want to talk to
other faith groups and encourage them to join you in the boycott. When doing
this, it’s important to remember that many members of your community may
have strong emotions and opinions when it comes to issues surrounding
Israel and Palestine. Think carefully about how you can convey your message
to different members of your community.

If you would like further advice on speaking out in your local community on
Quakers’ boycott of Israeli settlement goods, please contact Suzanne Ismail, Economic Issues Programme Manager, QPSW, on 020 7663 1055 or at


Learning from firsthand experience
QPSW coordinates the Britain and Ireland section of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). The mission of the EAPPI is to accompany Palestinians and Israelis in their nonviolent actions and concerted advocacy efforts to end the occupation. EAPPI volunteers spend time with Palestinian and Israeli communities in order to provide protection to those suffering at the hands of the occupation, monitor human rights abuses, and support Palestinians and Israelis in nonviolent resistance of the occupation. Many go on to become involved in political advocacy calling for an end to the occupation. You can hear an EAPPI volunteer speak about their experience by going along to a talk or requesting a speaker for your Meeting. For more information on EAPPI or speakers visit www.quaker.org.uk/eappi or contact Helen Bailey at eappi@quaker.org.uk or on 020 7663 1071. Table A: Settlement products sold in the UK (manufactured/processed goods)

Brand/product Parent
UK Retailer thought
Settlement information
to stock goods
Achdut is reportedly based in the industrial zone of the Barkan settlement in the West Bank. Ocado lists Barkan as the place of Products reportedly manufactured in the Mitzpe Shalem settlement in Barkan Winery reportedly owns vineyards in, Avnei Eithan, Eliad and Sha’al in the occupied Golan heights and Dolev in the West Bank. Information given on bottles is often not specific about the Company website indicates that some vineyards are situated within number of independent the occupied Golan Heights and West Bank as well as Israel. wine merchants. Information given on bottles is often not specific about the provenance of grapes used. Interstar toys are reportedly manufactured in the industrial zone of the independent toy sellers Barkan settlement. Keter reportedly has factories in the Barkan Industrial Zone and Oranit settlement as well as within Israel. It does not appear to be possible to distinguish between settlement and Israeli products on storage, bins, kitchen and bathroom products, toys) Soda Stream* Soda Club has a factory in the Ma’aleh Adumim settlement and Lakeland, Maplin, John additional factories within Israel. It does not appear to be possible to distinguish between settlement and Israeli products on product The winery reportedly has vineyards in the Mevo Horon settlement. 1870 winery number of independent Additional vineyards and the winery itself are located within Israel. Tishbi’s UK distributor shows winery as having vineyards in Gush Etzion, a settlement in the West Bank and also in Israel. The Golan winery is situated in the occupied Golan Heights. Its number of independent website indicates that it sources grapes from a number of vineyards Grapes from settlements, including Susya in the West Bank reported number of independent to be used. This is however denied by Yatir management. Yatir’s wine merchants. winery itself is situated within Israel. *Denotes products or brands that could originate from settlements or from within Israel.


Table B: Other companies present in the UK trading with or investing in Israeli settlement businesses
Company/ Brand
Trade/investment information
High street bank Barclays reportedly has a series of investments in companies linked to Israeli settlements. These include or have included:  France Telecom which owns the Orange brand name (see Orange entry in this table);  Motorola (see Motorola entry in this table);  Partner Communications which owns mobile phone antenna in settlements;  F&C Reit, owner of settlement real estate through British Israel Investments. British Telecom is partner to Israeli company Bezeq through the BT Alliance. Bezeq owns over 200 mobile phone coverage antenna for settlements throughout the West Bank. Through its subsidiary company Pelephone, Bezeq provides cellular and landline coverage to the army, check points and settlers through the occupied Palestinian territories. G4S, a British-Danish security company owns 90% of G4S Israel. G4S operates security services at checkpoints and settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. The company also provides security services at settlement prisons where Palestinians are often held. It provided logistical support for the construction of the Israeli wall which surrounds the West Bank and protects many settlements. G4S, as of 2011, provides security services for Birmingham, Bristol City, Bromley and Camden local authorities. Motorola Israel is subsidiary to multinational telecommunications company Motorola. Motorola Israel provides surveillance systems on the perimeters of Israeli settlements and the Israeli separation barrier surrounding the West Bank. Mobile phone multinational Orange owns franchise Partner Communications. The company operates over 160 phone masts in Israeli settlements and land that has reportedly been confiscated specifically for the masts. Partner Communications run Orange shops and kiosks in many of the larger settlements. Multinational service and utility provider Veolia run bus services to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, some of which use roads reserved entirely for Israelis. The company also constructed and services a light rail facility between Jerusalem and surrounding settlements in the West Bank. Due to public calls to withdraw economic support for the occupation, Veolia attempted to pull out of this construction project but report that they were unable to due to legal reasons. The company’s subsidiary Veolia Environmental Services Israel also run waste disposal services and a landfill on Palestinian land. Swedish vehicle producers Volvo operate through Mayer Davidov Garages through a Volvo branded facility in Israeli settlement industrial zone Mishor Admumim. Bulldozers made by Volvo are frequently used in the construction of settlements and check points in the West Bank. It has been recorded that such equipment has been used to demolish Palestinian homes in the West Bank. Volvo buses part own Merkavim, an Israeli company that frequently transports Palestinians from the West Bank to Israeli prisons. It also provides vehicles for Israeli bus company Egged that serves Israeli settlements.
Please note these lists are not exhaustive. They only specify settlement products likely to be on sale and companies operating in
the UK. Further information on other settlement products or companies operating in settlements can be found on the activist
research website Who Profits?. See: www.whoprofits.org/
QPSW will update this list of products and retailers as and when new information emerges. If you have new information or
corrections please let us know. Contact settlementproduce@quaker.org.uk
Updated April 2013

Source: http://www.quaker.org.uk/files/Trade-with-Israeli-settlements-Updated-April-2013.pdf