Israeli Business Mogul Rami Levy Sues UN Over Blacklisting Of Companies In Judea And Samaria

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israeli businessman Rami Levy, who owns a chain of supermarkets as well as a telecommunications company, has sued the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Monday over its blacklisting of companies operating in East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and the West Bank.

Levy filed a 280,000 NIS (82,000$) suit represented by Shurat Hadin,which specializes in fighting legal and economic battles against terrorism, after the UNHRC released a “settlement blacklist” claiming that more than 100 companies operating in East Jerusalem, The Golan Heights and the West Bank are in violation of international law.

In February, the UNHRC released its so-called “settlement blacklist,” which listed 112 companies including 94 Israeli companies and 18 international companies operating in east Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and the West Bank of violating international law, “and in so doing harming the ‘civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of the Palestinian people,'” according to Arutz Sheva.

The suit claims that the reason for the list is to bring an international boycott against these companies, including Rami Levy’s supermarkets and telecommunication network. However on the contrary, Rami Levy is one of the biggest employers of Palestinian Arabs, who receive equal conditions to their Jewish counterparts. If anything one could say that Levy’s companies ensure the rights of Palestinians and their economic security more than anyone else. Compensation and work conditions for the Palestinian workers are far superior to those Palestinian Authority workers or those employed in the PA regions. According to the Palestinian bureau of statistics, a worker in the PA gets an estimated 2,200 NIS (700$) a month whereas a worker at Rami Levy’s stores receives 3 times as much.

“I believe in true coexistence,” said Levy. “All of our employees at our stores are hired without distinction on the basis of religion, race, or nationality, in an equal fashion.”

“We’re happy to serve every customer, regardless of religion, race, or nationality, and we will continue to do so,” he added.

The suit also claims that the UNHRC deliberately discriminated against Jewish companies in violation of the UN charter because there are 11 Arab-Israeli companies which also have business activities in Judea and Samaria but none of these companies were mentioned on the blacklist. Thus the UNHRC violated the UN charter and should be brought to justice.

The director of Shurat Hadin, attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, who represents Rami Levy said that “the claim by the UNHRC that one may not do business in Judea and Samaria because they are occupied territories is a blood libel. This blacklist reflects the true nature of the UNHRC which once again is revealed as racist, obscurantist and biased. This council will not determine where Israel’s borders are set.”