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3 French companies involved in rail construction in illegal settlements

June 16, 2018 at 5:33 pm

Israeli railway station [Ynhockey /Wikipedia]

At a time when the French government has publicly opposed the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, several organizations have published a report today, highlighting the participation of three French companies – EGIS and SYSTRA, subsidiaries of public institutions and ALSTOM – in the Jerusalem light-rail construction, the France Palestine Solidarity Association press release.

READ: Macron to urge US to turn back on Jerusalem decision

This symbolic construction, a tool of Israeli settlements and annexation policy, aims to connect West Jerusalem to the Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory of East Jerusalem, in blatant violation of international law, via the extension of an existing line and the creation of two new lines, all with the settlements as their endpoints.

East Jerusalem’s occupation and “annexation” by the State of Israel violates international law, as recalled by numerous resolutions of the UN Security Council.

The French government is doubly liable.

First of all, under the international law obligation, it has “to protect against human rights violations by third parties”, in the concerned companies.

#BDS

Then, as trustee of the 3 public institutions that are majority shareholders in the two companies concerned.

“What are we to make of the French government’s inaction in the face of public sector entities participating in Israeli settlement activity, which is completely illegal, and which, incidentally, the French government has repeatedly condemned? It’s time to shift from words to action,” said Bertraod Heilbronn, President of the France Palestine Solidarity Association.