Financial Crime World

Here is the rewritten article in Markdown format:

Israeli Companies Entangled in Fraudulent Activities in Finance, Occupation Continues Unabated

Exposing European Financial Institutions’ Complicity in Illegal Activities and Human Rights Violations

Brussels, December 12, 2023 - A new report by the Don’t Buy Into Occupation (DBIO) Coalition has revealed the extent to which European financial institutions are complicit in illegal activities and human rights violations in occupied Palestinian territory. The report exposes that hundreds of European financial institutions have invested billions of dollars in companies that support Israel’s illegal settlements, perpetuating a cycle of violence and oppression.

Key Findings

  • Hundreds of European financial institutions have invested billions of dollars in companies that support Israel’s illegal settlements.
  • These institutions provide loans, underwriting, shares, and bonds to companies involved in settlement construction, service provision, demolition of homes, and surveillance.
  • The DBIO Coalition warns that business enterprises directly or indirectly involved in Israel’s settlement enterprise risk complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and human rights violations.

Top Creditors and Investors

  • BNP Paribas (France) is the top creditor with USD 22.19 billion in loans and underwriting.
  • The Government Pension Fund Global (Norway) is the top investor with USD 13.16 billion in shares and bond holdings.

Human Rights Activists’ Response

  • “The failure to hold international corporations and financial institutions accountable for complicity in international crimes is fuelling the continuing and deteriorating situation on the ground,” said Dr. Susan Power of Al-Haq.
  • Human rights activists demand that European financial institutions take immediate action to end their involvement in Israel’s illegal settlements.

Call to Action

  • The DBIO Coalition calls on companies to divest from occupied Palestinian territory and cease their involvement in activities that contribute to human rights violations.
  • The report’s publication comes ahead of a crucial UN conference on Israeli settlement expansion, which is expected to spark widespread international condemnation.

Contact Information

  • Maha Abdallah, Coordinator, Don’t Buy into Occupation (DBIO), [email address]
  • Haneen Kinani, Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy, [email address]
  • Dr. Susan Power, Al-Haq, [email address]
  • Heide Vercruysse, Bisan International Center for Research and Development, [email address]

About the DBIO Coalition

The DBIO Coalition is a group of 25 Palestinian, regional, and European organizations based in Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom (UK), and Palestine.