Tag Archives: International Companies in Palestine

“Are you Palestinian? Are you a little bit Palestinian? They yelled at me”: Experiencing detention in Israel

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Therezia Cooper | 4 Comments

CCTV watches over an Israeli police station in the Israeli occupied West Bank

Palestinians have called for international action on April 17th 2013 in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Corporate Watch has been investigating the companies involved in the Israeli prison system and this article is part of a series of articles and interviews which will be released over the coming weeks focussing on companies providing equipment and services to Israeli jails.

Tom Woodhead is a Palestine solidarity and anti arms trade activist and recently volunteered with the International Solidarity Movement in Palestine. On March 1st 2013, he was arrested by Israeli border police whilst participating in the weekly demonstration in Kafr Qaddum in the West Bank. Two Palestinians, Belal Jomaa and Nayif Jomaa were also arrested. Tom spent 11 days in detention in Israel before being deported to the UK. Corporate Watch caught up with him to find out about his experiences, and to get more information about companies operating in Israeli detention facilities. Continue reading →

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Posted in 'Security' and Surveillance, Arms Companies, Corporate Watch Research Blogs

Tagged 'Security'/Surveillance, Ariel, Arms Companies, Canon, El Al, G4S, Givon immigration prison, International Companies in Palestine, Qedumin, Samsung, Tri-Max

G4S providing security services in Gilo settlement

Posted on February 11, 2013 by tomandersoncw | 1 Comment

The multinational company G4S is providing security services in the settlement of Gilo.

On the 4th February 2013 Corporate Watch researchers photographed a G4S sign on a building on the road leading to the Gilo military checkpoint.

Gilo is an illegal Israeli settlement in the Bethlehem area with over 40,000 inhabitants.

A G4S sign on a road leading to the Gilo military checkpoint, photo taken by Corporate Watch researchers 04/02/2013

A building bearing a G4S sign on a road leading to the Gilo military checkpoint, photo taken by Corporate Watch researchers 04/02/2013

A view of Gilo settllement

Some of G4S’s other operations in illegal Israeli settlements, uncovered by Corporate Watch, can be found here. Continue reading →

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Posted in Corporate Watch Research Blogs

Tagged 'Security'/Surveillance, British companies working in Israel, British companies working in Israeli settlements, Companies providing service to the settlements, Dansh companies, East Jerusalem, G4S, Gilo, International Companies in Palestine

Orange: Still making the future bright for Israel’s illegal settlements

Posted on February 7, 2013 by tomandersoncw | 1 Comment

Authorised Orange service center in the illegal Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit – photo taken January 2013

Orange has an authorised shop or kiosk, via its franchise, Partner Communications, in many of the larger settlements in both the West Bank and the occupied Golan and advertises very heavily in them. Orange mobile phone masts (operated by Partner Communications) are located both inside the settlements themselves and on land specifically confiscated for the masts. The masts are situated to benefit the settlements and the Israeli army. The Orange brand, owned by France Telecom, is entirely separate from the Partner Communications Company, but this does not mean that it is innocent in the situation. Continue reading →

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Posted in Corporate Watch Research Blogs

Tagged Beitar Illit, East Jerusalem, France Telecom, Franchises, Gush Etzion, International Companies in Palestine, Ma'ale Adumim, Modi’in Illit, Orange, Pisgat Ze'ev, Telecommunications

Avis: Driving the occupation

Posted on February 6, 2013 by tomandersoncw | Leave a comment

Avis cars are available to rent in the illegal Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit. On 5th February 2013 Corporate Watch researchers photographed an Avis car rental centre, obtained Avis publicity material published by www.avis.co.il in Bney Brak and were told that they could rent a car directly from the settlement of Beitar Illit.

An Avis car rental office in the illegal Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit

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Posted in Corporate Watch Research Blogs

Tagged Avis, Avis Budget Group, Beitar Illit, Budget, Companies providing service to the settlements, Companies Working on settlements, International Companies in Palestine, US Companies

G4S providing services to settlements in East Jerusalem

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Tom Anderson and Therezia Cooper | 1 Comment

On 26th January 2013 Corporate Watch took photos of G4S signs in the East Jerusalem settlement of Ramat Eshkol and Ramot Allon. On 31st January Corporate Watch observed Rapiscan machines at both entrances to the Western Wall compound in East Jerusalem (Rapiscan’s Israeli representative is Hashmira, which is owned by G4S – for more info see here). On 23rd January 2013 researchers photographed a G4S sign on equipment in use at at the Ohel Yitzhak synagogue in the Old City, East Jerusalem.

G4S signage on a fence in the East Jerusalem settlement of Ramat Eshkol

Continue reading →

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Posted in Corporate Watch Research Blogs

Tagged 'Security'/Surveillance, Ateret Cohanim, East Jerusalem, G4S, Hashmira, International Companies in Palestine, Old City - Jerusalem, Ramat Eshkol, Ramot, Ramot Allon, Rapiscan, Silwan, Western Wall

G4S expands business in Israel: Prisons, high street stores and migrant detention

Posted on January 20, 2013 by tomandersoncw | Leave a comment

The logo and uniform of British/Danish company G4s is becoming ubiquitous on the Israeli high street.

G4S is the largest security company in the world and the largest employer on the London Stock Exchange, operating in 125 countries worldwide.[1] It provides a variety of services in 1948 Israel and the Occupied Territories including providing security for businesses in illegal Israeli settlements, providing equipment and maintenance services to military checkpoints in the West Bank and the Erez checkpoint in Gaza, providing equipment and maintenance services to all Israeli prisons in the West Bank and Israel.[2]

In 2002 G4S purchased Hashmira, one of Israel’s largest security companies.[3] In addition, in 2010 Hashmira purchased Aminut Moked Artzi, one of the oldest private security companies in Israel.[4] As a result the company is now omnipresent within Israel and has a substantial foothold in the occupied territories. Continue reading →

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Posted in Corporate Watch Research Blogs

Tagged 'Security'/Surveillance, African migrants, Aminut Moked Artzi, Beer Sheva, Companies with contracts with the Israeli government, Erez, G4S, Hashmira, International Companies in Palestine, Ketziot, Prisons, Retail, Russian Compound, Tel Aviv

JCB and Volvo machines used in demolitions in Al Maleh and Al Mayta – 17/1/13

Posted on January 18, 2013 by tomandersoncw | 14 Comments

IOF demolish houses in Al Malih, Jordan Valley - 16/01/11

IOF demolish houses in Al Maleh, Jordan Valley – 17/01/11

On 17th January 20134 Israeli occupation forces (IOF) carried out demolitions of 55 buildings in the communities of Al Maleh and Al Mayta in the Jordan Valley. The demolitions were part of the ongoing campaign of ethnic cleansing by the Israeli military against communities living in Area C of the West Bank. Communities in Area C are prohibited from building any structures and are subjected to constant harrassment and home demolitions.

IOF soldiers arrived in the area in a bus hired from Shachar Tzach Transportation Services Ltd, an Israeli bus company which boasts that its fleet of over 160 buses is rented to clients that include “The ministry of Defence, The Iarseli(sic) army” and “the Jewish Ajenc(sic)”. The bus bore a Volvo logo. The demolitions were carried out using JCB machines. (see below for an eyewitness report from Jordan Valley Solidarity and pictures)

Volvo and JCB are both major construction equipment manufacturers, Volvo is a Swedish Company while JCB is British.

Continue reading →

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Posted in Corporate Watch Research Blogs

Tagged Al Maleh, Al Mayta, Construction, International Companies in Palestine, JCB, Jordan Valley, Maskiot, Shachar Tzach Transportation Services Ltd, Volvo

Lee Cooper have moved out of Ma’ale Adumim

Posted on January 13, 2013 by tomandersoncw | Leave a comment

Mall in the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Adumim

British company Lee Cooper no longer has a branch of its franchise in the shopping mall in the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim.

Corporate Watch visited Ma’ale Adumim on Wednesday 8th January 2013 and can confirm that the shop is no longer operating. Continue reading →

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Posted in Corporate Watch Research Blogs

Tagged British companies working in Israel, Companies Working on settlements, International Companies in Palestine, Lee Cooper, Ma'ale Adumim, Sun Capital Partners

G4S and the E1 Settlement Expansion

Posted on January 11, 2013 by tomandersoncw | 4 Comments

The Judea and Samaria police force HQ in E1, provided services by G4S

E1 stands for East-1, the area of the Israeli occupied West Bank to the Northeast of Jerusalem to the West of the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Adumim. In 1994 Yitzhak Rabin unilaterally expanded the borders of Ma’ale Adumim, the third largest settlement in the West Bank, to include the E1 area, these development plans are illegal under international law. Continue reading →

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Posted in Corporate Watch Research Blogs

Tagged E1, G4S, International Companies in Palestine, Jahalin