On July 3, the UN High Commission on Human Rights issued a press release entitled “Forever-Occupation, genocide and profit: Special Rapporteur’s report exposes corporate forces behind destruction of Palestine.” In this report to the United Nations, human rights expert Francesca Albanese provides extensive documentation revealing “the corporate infrastructure profiting from Israel’s economy of occupation—and its deadly transformation into an economy of genocide.”
Forty-eight corporations, their partners and subsidiaries are identified in the report, including weapons manufacturers, tech companies, financial institutions, and construction and energy companies. Albanese further documents that since Israel’s assault on Gaza began 21 months ago, the Tel Aviv stock exchange has surged 213%, creating $225 billion in new wealth—$67.8 billion in June alone.
“This report shows why Israel’s genocide continues, because it is lucrative for many,” Albanese says. She urges UN member states to impose a full arms embargo on Israel, suspend all business agreements and hold corporations accountable for violations of international law.
Chevron Inc. is a majority provider of oil and natural gas to Israel—powering 50% of Israel’s electricity grid and therefore its military installations, prisons and settlements, literally fueling the Israeli war machine in Gaza, its jets and tanks.
Locally, Peace Fresno has urged the public to join the nationwide boycott of Chevron/Texaco, launched by the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights.
Boycotts have proven effective. As a result of the Palestinian Youth Movement’s boycott, Danish shipping company Maersk, the largest in the world, has just divested from companies transporting supplies to the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Also, the largest pension fund in Norway, the KLP, which represents 900,000 public-sector workers, has just divested from all companies supplying weapons and equipment to Israel.
Dan Yaseen, president of Peace Fresno, says, “According to Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, 10% of Gaza’s Palestinian population, about 230,000 people, have been killed, injured, disappeared or detained as a result of the genocide committed in Gaza by Israel since 7 October 2023.
“This is equivalent to 34.2 million Americans being killed, injured, disappeared and detained. This is what ethnic cleansing looks like.
“Peace Fresno strongly condemns our government and our businesses supporting war criminal Netanyahu and his genocidal government of Israel. We support boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel.”
For more information on the Chevron boycott, visit peacefresno.org.
