The Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council on Thursday voted to establish a database of businesses operating in Israel’s settlements in Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem. The database, which constitutes a blacklist, will be a great help to BDS groups seeking to influence financial institutions and major investors, such as private universities, to divest their investments from Jewish communities in said areas. The database will include a wide range of businesses, including construction, security, banks and utilities, both Israeli and international.
Israel, the US and the UK fought against the database provision. Israel accused the UN, especially the UNHRC, of devoting its time to issuing numerous resolutions against Israel, while ignoring human rights abuses everywhere else.
Palestinian envoy to the UN Ibrahim Khreisheh said the resolution was a “message of hope” for his people. “On behalf of the state of Palestine and our people, we would like to extend our appreciation to all countries in support of our effort to bring justice to Palestine,” Khreisheh said.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon called the UNHRC a “cynical, shameless and hypocritical body, probably in need of urgent mental treatment.” He also said, “The results of the vote are additional proof of the sick obsession of this body, dealing particularly with Israel, and ignoring areas in which human rights are being violated around the world, including in Syria, Libya and North Korea.”
The EU last year approved guidelines for the labeling of settlement-made goods but European countries and the US insist that they oppose boycotts of Israeli products.