Firms tied to West Bank settlements win $15m UK deals despite sanctions

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that UK public bodies awarded about £10.7m ($14.4m) in new contracts to companies with links to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank after the British government announced tougher powers to target firms that profit from settlement activity. The article says the contracts were identified through an analysis of procurement records, company filings, corporate disclosures and data from market intelligence firm Tussell. The contracts were published after Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said on September 8 that the government would act against companies and individuals providing services tied to settlement expansion.

The investigation says the newly identified contracts involved firms connected to settlement-related activities through subsidiaries or parent companies, including Heidelberg Materials, Motorola Solutions, Fosun International and Egis. Examples cited include roadworks, police communications, hospital equipment and transport-related services. Al Jazeera also noted that its earlier investigation in August found at least 17 such companies had won more than £2.1bn in UK public-sector contracts.

The report places the issue in the context of Britain’s stated sanctions policy and the legal status of West Bank settlements under international law. It quotes former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn criticising the continued awards as incompatible with the government’s position. Al Jazeera said it contacted the Cabinet Office and some of the companies named; responses varied, and several firms did not reply.