Protest vs. Israeli Occupation Profiteer’s $5bn contract

The North London Waste Authority, which covers seven boroughs, is soon to award a £4.7 billion contract for waste management, and campaigners want Veolia excluded from the tendering process.

According to the Boycott Israeli Goods campaign:

“Veolia, a large French multinational, is helping to build and operate a tramway linking illegal settlements in East Jerusalem with Israel. Not only do the settlements contravene article 49 of the 4th Geneva Convention forbidding an occupier transferring its own civilians into the territory it occupies, but in most cases the establishment of the Israeli settlements involved war crimes too. The tramway tightens Israel’s hold on occupied East Jerusalem, ties the settlements more firmly into Israel and undermines chances of a just peace for the Palestinian people.

“In the occupied Jordan Valley Veolia has been supporting illegal settlements by taking their refuse at its Tovlan landfill site. Veolia has now compounded its offence by actually selling Tovlan to an illegal settlement, whilst maintaining an advisory role.

“Veolia also operates bus services connecting illegal Israeli settlements to Israel. Palestinians were, until recently, forbidden from using the apartheid roads on which the buses travel and Palestinian use of these services is still severely restricted.

“Veolia must be made to halt these activities which enable Israel to maintain and tighten its grip on the occupation. Until then, we encourage a boycott of Veolia – a firm complicit in the ongoing occupation and dispossession of the Palestinian people.”

Further protests will be held on Wednesday 21st at Hackney Town Hall; 23rd November at Camden Town Hall; and again at Camden Town Hall on 6th December, when the final decision will be taken.