The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has confirmed in a report issued Wednesday that five French financial institutions have funded Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories through their cooperation with Israeli banks and companies operating in the settlements.
The FIDH released today a report entitled: “Dangerous Links between French Banks and Insurance Companies and Israeli Colonization” in which it said that the following banks and companies: BNP Paribas Societe Generale Credit Agricole BPCE and “AXA” Insurance have through their continuous support of Israeli banks and companies operating in the settlements” directly contributed to the sustainability and development of these settlements.
The report on which “Association France Palestine Solidarite” CCFD – Terre Solidaire Fair Finance France FIDH LDH Solidaires CGT et Al-Haq have all worked together to publish said that these French large financial groups manage “financial partnerships” or “own shares” in Israeli banks and constitute “an essential tool in the settlement policy” by “financing construction” in these settlements.
The report added that these French institutions have relations with Israeli companies that “provide vital services for the sustainability and development of the settlements” such as the “construction of houses factories phone networks Internet substructure or even the development of surveillance equipment.”
Furthermore FIDH Vice President Maryse Artiguelong stated in the report that these five French institutions are regretfully “seeking profit whatever the outcome” adding “it’s sad that these institutions have placed themselves in such an oppressive position only to earn a little money.”
The United Nations and the international community consider the settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal and have passed Resolution 2334 against them.
