Deep involvement of Israeli banks in the building of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank may amount to the war crime of pillage, HRW has said. While the settlements are condemned worldwide, Israel keeps building more.
Last week @hrw published a new report with the title “Bankrolling Abuse: Israeli Banks in the West Bank Settlements” on how banks are helping the expansion of illegal colonization in the occupied Palestinian territories: w/ @OmarSShakir https://t.co/zHvqdPkcpG
— The Real News (@TheRealNews) June 11, 2018
In an article published in World Policy earlier this week, the Israel/Palestine Advocacy Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), Sari Bashi, said:
“Israeli banks are facilitating their expansion and thus bankrolling these abuses. The involvement of banks in these transactions can amount to pillage – that is, seizing private property in conflict situations, in violation of the laws of war.”
My piece in @WorldPolicy: Israeli banks enjoy lucrative global relationships, but they're flouting global standards of respect for human rights by helping build homes for Israelis-only on stolen land in West Bank settlements. https://t.co/LvNm0TRVA6 pic.twitter.com/TWzfN48v2f
— Sari Bashi (@saribashi) June 14, 2018
The official gave an example of the banks’ involvement in settlement-related activities: the cooperation between developer Zemach Hammerman and Bank Leumi in constructing a new housing project in the settlement of Alfei Menashe. The developer and the bank have so-called “accompaniment agreements,”designed to protect the investments of homebuyers, Bashi explained, adding that similar patterns are used in the development of other Israeli settlements.
How Israeli banks finance theft of Palestinian land https://t.co/gdXef5qCeU
"financed to the tune of $53 million by Bank Leumi .. settlement, Alfei Menashe, is in fact built on land stolen from the Palestinian village of Azzun." One of many.
Don't invest in ISBanks! #BDS!!— Kitty Antonik Wakfer (@KittyAntonik) May 31, 2018
Late in May, HRW released a damning report on the matter, dubbed ‘Bankrolling Abuse.’ The report highlighted the deep involvement of many Israeli banks in settlement building, supervising “each stage of construction, holding the buyers’ money in escrow, and taking ownership of the project in case of default by the construction company.” The HRW report includes a list of Israeli banks involved and the projects they develop.
Israeli banks are ignoring their duty to avoid complicity in human rights abuse by bankrolling Israel's illegal settlements. https://t.co/Jf0gOgy3Yq pic.twitter.com/YrQGTXqvH2
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) June 14, 2018
The lands in occupied territories can be used solely for “security purposes” and to benefit the people living in it. In December 2016 the UN Security Council confirmed the illegal status of the settlements in Resolution 2334, urging Israel to halt all demographics-altering activities in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli banks are ignoring their duty to avoid complicity in human rights abuse by bankrolling Israel's illegal settlements. https://t.co/Jf0gOgy3Yq pic.twitter.com/YrQGTXqvH2
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) June 14, 2018
An occupying country transferring its own civilians into the occupied territory, as in the case of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, is a war crime under the Fourth Geneva Convention and according to the International Criminal Court. The involvement of banks in these transactions can amount to pillage—that is, seizing private property in conflict situations in violation of the laws of war,” Bashi explained.
Israel Approves More Than 2,000 Settlement Units in West Bank – Palestine Chronicle https://t.co/SGcdEI3brg
— Abiyomi Kofi (@TheAngryindian) June 1, 2018
While the settlement-building has attracted worldwide condemnation, Israel seems to be eager to continue the process. Just a day after the HRW report was released, Tel Aviv approved construction of nearly 2,000 additional settler homes in the West Bank.
(RT, PC, Social Media)
