UN Blacklists 61 More Companies Over West Bank Settlement Ties

The United Nations human rights office announced Friday that it has added 61 companies to its blacklist for alleged involvement in human rights violations through business ties to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. This expansion brings the total number of listed companies to 214, with the vast majority based in Israel.

Five companies were removed from the list in this latest update, according to the U.N. human rights office. The blacklist, first published in 2020 following a vote by the U.N. Human Rights Council, aims to identify and publicly name businesses with connections to the settlements. The council itself does not have the authority to compel companies to take action.

Volker Türk, the U.N. human rights chief, stated that the report serves as a reminder to companies of their responsibility to conduct due diligence and ensure they are not involved in human rights violations. He emphasized that companies are expected to uphold human rights responsibilities.

Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva has criticized the list, characterizing it as a "political tool" employed by the U.N. human rights office to promote a "smear campaign against business enterprises that committed no wrongdoing." The U.N. office has not clarified the specific financial impact on the listed companies.

This update comes amid increased international scrutiny of Israeli settlements. Recently, Britain enacted a ban on trade with settlements in the West Bank, citing actions by "settler terrorists" and alleged "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians. France and Canada have announced similar measures.