Posted on 09/26/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
The United Nations has announced the addition of nearly 70 more companies to its blacklist of firms it accuses of supporting Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. With the update, the list now contains 158 companies from 11 different countries, the majority of them Israeli. The blacklist is presented as a “database of companies” and is intended to publicly identify businesses operating in or serving these communities.
According to the UN, the companies flagged are active in industries ranging from construction and real estate to mining, financial services, tourism, and transportation. Among the newcomers to the list are Heidelberg Materials of Germany, Portuguese rail systems provider Steconfer, and the Spanish engineering firm Ineco. Several American travel firms, including Expedia, Booking Holdings, and Airbnb, continue to appear on the list. At the same time, seven companies were removed, including French transport company Alstom and the travel service provider Opodo from Britain.
The blacklist was first created following a resolution by the UN Human Rights Council nearly a decade ago. Israel strongly opposed the initiative at its inception, arguing that it unfairly and exclusively targets the Jewish state. Both Israel and the United States have repeatedly accused the Council of harboring deep-seated anti-Israel bias. Critics point out that the Council lacks any legal authority to enforce its measures and that the list is intended primarily as a tool for international pressure through public shaming of companies.
Israel has dismissed the blacklist as a political maneuver that does not reflect reality on the ground. Officials in Jerusalem maintain that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are a natural part of the historical and biblical homeland of the Jewish people. They stress that the state has no intention of dismantling these communities, which today number more than half a million residents. In addition, more than 200,000 Jews live in eastern Jerusalem, an area Israel has declared part of its united capital.
The release of the updated list comes at a time when Israel continues to approve new housing projects in Judea and Samaria. The growth of these communities remains a key point of contention internationally, yet Israel emphasizes that its citizens have the right to live and build in their ancestral land. Despite the criticism, Israeli leaders have signaled that construction and development in these areas will continue, reflecting both security concerns and demographic realities.