UK holds £2.1bn in contracts with firms tied to illegal Israeli settlements
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At least 17 companies linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank hold UK public-sector contracts worth more than £2.1 billion, an Al Jazeera investigation reveals. The findings come as more than 140 UK Labour MPs call on the government to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements, a move Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering.
Key Facts
- The 17 companies hold 125 public-sector contracts with a combined award value of £2.129 billion, according to data from procurement analysts Tussell.
- Companies owned by Motorola Solutions account for more than £1.7 billion of the total, mostly through its British subsidiary Airwave Solutions.
- A UN Human Rights Office report identifies five corporate groups involved in business activities related to illegal Israeli settlements: Motorola Solutions, Heidelberg Materials, Egis, CAF, and Fosun.
- More than 140 UK Labour MPs are calling on the government to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements.
Contract Holdings
Al Jazeera's analysis of procurement records, company filings, and corporate disclosures found that businesses named by the UN over their involvement in illegal Israeli settlements have secured contracts across the British public sector. These contracts cover areas such as road maintenance, transport, emergency services, and driving licensing. Data compiled by public procurement analysts Tussell shows the 17 companies and entities hold 125 public-sector contracts with a combined award value of £2.129 billion. Companies owned by Motorola Solutions account for more than £1.7 billion of the total, the vast majority through its British subsidiary Airwave Solutions.
Corporate Groups Involved
Other contracts are held by firms within four other corporate groups: Heidelberg Materials, a German multinational building materials company; the French engineering group Egis; the Spanish train manufacturer CAF; and Chinese conglomerate Fosun. A report by the United Nations Human Rights Office identifies the five corporate groups as involved in business activities related to illegal Israeli settlements. Heidelberg Materials' Israeli subsidiary owns a quarry on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, while Motorola is embedded in the security infrastructure of illegal settlements. Egis and CAF are involved in Jerusalem's expanding light-rail network, a project activists say entrenches Israel's control by integrating settlements into the city while further fragmenting Palestinian neighbourhoods. Fosun International, whose subsidiary Breas Medical receives UK public money, also owns the Israeli cosmetics manufacturer Ahava, which operates in the Mitzpe Shalem illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank.
Political Pressure
More than 140 UK Labour MPs are calling on the government to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering the move. Stephen Humphreys, professor of international law at the London School of Economics, said evidence is growing that the UK may be in breach of its international obligations by continuing to contract with entities identified by the UN as providing assistance of this sort.
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UK holds £2.1bn in contracts with firms tied to illegal Israeli settlements
