UN Adds 61 Firms to Database of Companies Linked to Israeli West Bank Settlements

The United Nations human rights office announced Friday it has added 61 more companies to its database of firms operating in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which the international body considers illegal. The update brings the total number of listed entities to 214, heightening the potential for boycotts or divestment campaigns targeting these businesses.

Database Details

The expanded list, first published in 2020, now includes companies from Israel and 10 other countries, including the U.S., Germany, France, and China. According to a Reuters report from Geneva, newly added firms include:

• Israeli pesticides manufacturer ADAMA, which is part of the Chinese-owned Syngenta Group.
• Israel-based real estate investment firm Alony Hetz.
• Spain’s Salvat Logistica.

These companies join previously listed firms such as U.S.-based travel company Expedia (EXPE) and home-rental platform Airbnb (ABNB). The UN office assessed companies based on their involvement in sectors like energy, hospitality, transport, and agriculture within the settlements.

Context and Reactions

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The database is highly contentious. Firms listed could face significant reputational risk and pressure from investors to alter their business practices. The update comes amid a reported surge in settler activity and recent moves by the U.K., France, and Canada to block imports from settlements.

Israel’s diplomatic mission criticized the move, calling the database a "distorted mechanism — created by a deeply flawed body with an automatic majority against Israel" designed to "persecute" the state. Israel maintains that the West Bank is disputed, not occupied, territory and that companies listed are operating legally.

Criteria for Listing and Removal

The UN's criteria for inclusion focus on activities that it says violate Palestinian rights, such as supplying equipment for demolishing Palestinian property, providing surveillance for settlements, or offering transport and other services that help sustain them. The UN human rights office noted that another 60 companies were assessed but not added because they did not meet the criteria.

Conversely, some companies have been removed from the list. British-registered Opodo and Spanish-domiciled eDreams were dropped after the UN determined there were "reasonable grounds to believe they were no longer involved" in the activities that led to their initial inclusion. eDreams stated last year it had blocked and would continue to block accommodation listings in the settlements.