UN Adds 61 Firms to Settlement Database, Now 214; Israel Calls It a 'Distorted Mechanism'

The UN human rights office on Friday updated its database of companies active in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, adding 61 firms and removing five for a total of 214 companies from 11 countries. New listings include Israeli pesticide maker ADAMA, part of China's Syngenta Group, real estate holding company Alony Hetz and Spain's Salvat Logistica, while Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and Motorola Solutions remain listed. UN rights chief Volker Türk called the list a reminder of companies' human rights responsibilities. Israel's mission in Geneva rejected it as "a distorted mechanism" established "solely to persecute the Jewish state" and a tool for "a smear campaign against business enterprises that committed no wrongdoing."