The Israeli boycott campaign (See SchNEWS 798) has struck again, as French multinational Veolia failed to win a £485 million contract to provide waste treatment services in West London.
Pro-Palestine campaigners had pointed out Veolia's complicity in human rights abuses in the West Bank to the local authorities. The list is a long one: Veolia takes waste from Israel proper, and its settlements, and dumps it on Palestinian land. It is also accused of racist employment policies in Israel.
The company runs bus services throughout Israel including into the West Bank – on roads Palestinians are prohibited to use - as well as being involved in the Jerusalem Light Rail project which will join settlements in East and West Jerusalem settlements.
Veolia should have been a favourite for the high-value London deal – it currently owns a waste depot in the area, but convenience wasn't enough to land it a deal for Ealing Council's 'Clean and Green' scheme either, despite the fact it had already been providing most of the services.
Veolia has been a prominent target of the BDS campaign (started in Palestine in 2005, calling for 'Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions' against Israel until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights) - and the pressure has told. The company has lost public contracts from Europe and Australia, faces legal action in France and pension funds in Norway, Denmark and Sweden have all disinvested in them since their complicity in Israel's illegal occupation came to light. See www.bdsmovement.net & www.bigcampaign.org for more.