A United Nations human rights expert on Thursday called on companies worldwide to sever business ties with Israel, accusing the country of conducting what she termed "one of the cruelest genocides in modern history" in Gaza. The appeal comes as international pressure mounts on corporations to reassess their involvement in the Israeli economy amid the ongoing conflict.
Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, delivered the stark assessment to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva while presenting a report that names more than 60 companies allegedly complicit in Israeli operations.
Albanese's report identifies major technology firms including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, along with financial institutions like BNP Paribas and Korean conglomerate HD Hyundai, as part of what she characterized as an "economy of occupation turned genocidal"12. The companies span arms manufacturing, banking, technology, energy, and academic sectors.
"What I expose is not a list, it is a system, and that is to be addressed," Albanese told the council, according to Al Jazeera3. She called for states to impose a full arms embargo on Israel, suspend trade agreements, and ensure companies face legal consequences for involvement in alleged violations of international law.
The rapporteur said she formally notified all named companies of her findings, with only 18 responding and "only a small number" engaging constructively with her concerns2.
Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva dismissed Albanese's report as "legally groundless, defamatory and a flagrant abuse of her office"1. The Israeli delegation was absent from Thursday's session, continuing a policy of disengagement with the Human Rights Council, which Israel claims has an antisemitic bias.
The appeal follows recent U.S. calls for Albanese's removal from her position, with Yahoo News reporting American officials criticized her previous statements2.
Albanese highlighted the economic dimensions of the conflict, noting that arms companies have "turned near-record profits by equipping Israel with cutting-edge weaponry" and that the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has seen 213% gains since October 20231. She described Gaza as having become "an ideal laboratory for the Israeli military-industrial complex."
"Trade unions, lawyers, civil society groups, and ordinary citizens should encourage such behavioral change from the side of businesses and governments by pressing for boycotts, divestments, sanctions, and accountability," Albanese concluded2.
