United Nations experts asked Caterpillar in June, among others, to stop supplying the IDF and recalled that the financial institutions that support it also have responsibilities.
Belgian banks Delen Private Bank ($43 million), Degroof Petercam ($15 million) and Belfius ($6 million) are also financing the American company, according to DBIO.
The report also points to the Belgian National Bank (BNB) and its investment of five million dollars in the Dutch company TKH Security, specializing in security technologies and whose cameras are used by the Israeli police. It also invests two million dollars in the company eDreams ODIGEO, which offers rental housing in Israeli settlements.
DBIO also highlights that BNP Paribas ranks at the top of the European creditors of companies “active in Israeli colonization” for the fourth time in a row.
BNP Paribas denies
BNP Paribas contests the conclusions of a report by the NGOs 11.11.11 and FairFin on the financing of the Israeli occupation. “The situation in the Middle East is too serious to be exploited,” said the bank on Tuesday, while affirming “to share the strong emotion aroused by the dramatic consequences for the civilian populations.”
Mr. Anseeuw, CEO of BNP Paribas Fortis, explains this challenge by the size of the group: “Our presence at the top of the list is explained by our leading position in the euro zone, with activities in more than 60 countries. Seven out of ten companies with a turnover of at least 1 billion euros are customers of ours.” He also criticizes the methodology of NGOs, which, according to him, “use public information without distinguishing between different financial relationships. They put everything in the same basket.” Citing banking secrecy, the CEO adds that the bank “cannot disclose detailed information. I am also not authorized to inform your neighbors of the amount of your property loan.”
“A shock”: a BNP customer sees the 35,000 euros in her bank safe disappear
Concerning the Israeli arms industry, BNP Paribas refuses to comment on specific client cases, but emphasizes that it does not support arms purchases. The group’s activities in the defense sector would be “highly regulated” and governed by an internal policy “stricter than legal requirements”.
“BNP Paribas does not carry out any activities in the occupied territories, has no subsidiaries in Israel or Palestine and plays no role in financing the occupied territories. What is happening there also horrifies us,” says Mr. Anseeuw.
Finally, the bank condemns the acts of vandalism committed against its branches by pro-Palestinian activists. Fifty incidents have already been recorded this year. “The safety of our staff and customers is an absolute priority,” concludes the CEO.
