UN blacklists Tnuva, Aroma, Netafim over settlement ties

The United Nations updated its database of companies linked to business activity in Judea and Samaria, adding 61 new firms for review. The updated list now includes 214 companies from 11 countries, compared to just 158 last year. Five other companies were removed from the database.

Among the prominent Israeli entities added to the database are Tnuva, Netafim, Te'avura, Africa Israel, Aloney Hetz, Energix and Maman. Also added were companies operating well-known brands including Aroma Espresso Bar, Burger Ranch, Café Joe and Carmel Winery.

International giants including Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor and Motorola continue to appear on the updated list. Inclusion in the database does not constitute a legal sanction, but could affect the companies' business operations and their relations with international actors.

The Foreign Ministry rejected the move sharply and issued harsh criticism of the step. The ministry defined the list as "a corrupt political mechanism, born in the Human Rights Council, a fundamentally flawed body with an automatic majority against Israel based on the activity of 'reporters' funded by unidentified sources."

The ministry added that "the 'blacklist' was established solely to harm Israel and has no parallel anywhere else in the world," and stated that "we reject outright the 'blacklist' and all the assumptions underlying it; this is not a legitimate or proper mechanism in the field of human rights."

Parrots campaign (Photo: Foreign Ministry)

In a direct attack, the ministry emphasized that "the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has become the Commissioner for Boycotts against Israel," and claimed that "during his tenure he has worked to establish wasteful mechanisms whose sole purpose is persecution of the State of Israel. It would be good if the man who led the institution under his charge to moral and financial bankruptcy would go home."

The ministry also noted that "Israel is proud of its strong and stable economy, and of the fact that unlike the Commissioner's office, Israeli business activity in Judea and Samaria provides jobs for Palestinians, serves as a bridge between communities in the region and is an example of coexistence."

The ministry concluded by stating that "the Foreign Ministry is working on several levels against the distinctly anti-Israel policy at the UN, including against the 'blacklist.'"

The UN blacklist is published annually as part of the Human Rights Council's activities, and is intended to identify companies operating in territories that the international organization defines as occupied. Inclusion in the database is based on various criteria related to business activity in these areas.