ALL Israeli settlements , including the town of Maaleh Adumim , where is located the main factory SodaStream are installed illegally , in violation of international law. In its resolution 465 (1980) , the Security Council of the United Nations called the policy and practices of Israel consisting of settling parts of its population and new immigrants in the occupied territories of flagrant violation of the law international . It is the constant official position of the European Union and its Member States, including France. In its opinion of 9 July 2004 on the Wall, the International Court of Justice also confirmed that the settlements set up by Israel in the Occupied (including East Jerusalem) Palestinian Territory were in breach of international law . In particular , the installation of settlements violate Article 49 § 6 of the 4th Geneva Convention. This is also constitutes a war crime under the Statute of the International Criminal Court. In addition, the land on which the industrial park Mishor Adumim was implanted were illegally confiscated by the Israeli government. The promotion of economic activities in the colonies directly involved maintaining the illegal situation and at the expense of opportunities for development of the Palestinian economy as find many international reports. Is particularly targeted grabbing by Israel of Area C , which prevents economic viability of Palestine. Thus, a report by the World Bank states: More than half of the West Bank land , much of which is rich in resources and arable, are off limits to Palestinians. The World Bank today published the first comprehensive study of the potential impact of this restricted area whose shortfall is currently estimated at approximately $ 3.4 billion for the Palestinian economy. Area C represents 61 % of the area of the West Bank . This is the only contiguous area linking 227 communities smaller but densely inhabited. The peace agreement stipulated that the 1993 Oslo Area C would be gradually transferred to the Palestinian Authority by 1998. Such transfer never took place . (banquemondiale.org/fr/news/press-release/2013/10/07/palestinians-access-area-c-economic-recovery-sustainable-growth). The recent Report of the International UN mission to study the effects of Israeli settlements on Palestinian rights in the occupied (Council of Human Rights of the United Nations , February 7, 2013 ) Palestinian Territory stresses in this regard: It is by being fully informed of the current situation and risks of liability that commercial companies establish their activities in the settlements , thus contributing to the maintenance, development and consolidation of these colonies . SodaStream company is one of the companies to be particularly blamed for the contribution of its activities to the occupation and colonization policy implemented by the Israeli government. The Israeli NGO WhoProfits has devoted a special report in 2011 concluded that: SodaStream and similar industries installed in the Mishor Adumim industrial park directly support the Maaleh Adumim different ways. Firstly, by municipal taxes paid by the company to the municipality of Maale Adumim , which are used EXCLUSIVELY to support the growth and development of the colony. [...] So when you buy a product SodaStream , it contributes to the maintenance of Maale Adumim ( whoprofits.org/sites/default/files/WhoProfits-ProductioninSettlements-SodaStream . pdf) . The defense argument is that SodaStream rather builds bridges . It employs 500 Palestinian workers working in good conditions . This assertion , which we wonder what the source is not going in the direction of investigations carried out by NGOs in the field. In the aforementioned report, the Israeli association WhoProfits operates a very different conclusion: According to reports from three consecutive years ( 2008-2010 ) Kav LaOved ( an NGO for the protection of rights of workers employed by Israeli companies ) , workers in the factory SodaStream suffer from difficult working conditions . This is especially true for Palestinian workers . In recent years , on several occasions , workers complained of low wages and poor working conditions [...] . Palestinian workers say they are discriminated against , they do not even earn half the minimum wage and working conditions are terrible. They demand respect for their rights, they will be dismissed . This is the situation in many factories in this area, but the plant Soda Club is one of the worst . And if some Palestinians are forced to earn their living in the business of the colonies, it is because they have no other choice , the C zone is almost off limits to Palestinian investor. SodaStream activities are denounced by many organizations of human rights , little suspicious of anti- Israelism . In the context of the recent controversy concerning the association of the actress Scarlette Johansson marketing campaign SodaStream , director for the Middle East Human Rights Watch (HRW ), Sarah Leah Whitson , said: SodaStream operates in an Israeli settlement , whose very existence constitutes a serious violation of international law. It is impossible to ignore the Israeli system of unlawful discrimination , land confiscation , theft of natural resources and forced displacement of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, where SodaStream is located . And Oxfam , which the actress was the ambassador said that companies like SodaStream , operating in the colonies will contribute to the perpetuation of poverty and lack of rights of Palestinian communities we we strive to support . Oxfam opposes any form of trade with Israeli settlements , which are illegal under international law. bdsfrance.org
Posted on: Sat, 17 May 2014 21:10:32 +0000