Association France Palestine Solidarité, Al-Haq, Confédération générale du travail (CGT), Fédération commerces et services of CGT, Ligue des droits de l’Homme, Plateforme des ONG françaises pour la Palestine, Union syndicale Solidaires
 

Report and press release

Carrefour complicit and active in Israeli colonisation

In a report published on 16 November, seven NGOs and Trade Unions want to highlight the fact that the agreement signed by the Carrefour group in March 2022 with two Israeli companies involved in the colonisation of Palestine, makes the Carrefour group complicit in this colonisation.

On 16 November, the Association France Palestine Solidarité, Al-Haq, the Confédération générale du travail (CGT), the Fédération commerces et services de la CGT (CGT trade and services federation), the Ligue des droits de l'Homme Human Rights League), the Plateforme des ONG françaises pour la Palestine (French NGO platform for Palestine) and the Union syndicale Solidaires (Trade Union Federation “Solidaires”) published a report entitled "Les liaisons dangereuses du groupe Carrefour avec la colonisation israélienne" (The Carrefour group's dangerous links with Israeli colonisation) [1]. In March 2022, the French group Carrefour signed an agreement with the Israeli companies Electra Consumer Products and Yenot Bitan to franchise their retail brands. These companies are direct and indirect actors in the colonisation of Palestine by Israel [2], a war crime condemned by the UN.

Yenot Bitan shops are present in at least three major Israeli settlements. While writing this report, Carrefour products were already available on Yenot Bitan's website and in its shops. Through their retail activities, Electra Consumer Products and its subsidiary Yenot Bitan contribute to the economic life of settlements, whose existence is regularly condemned by the UN, the European Union and many countries, including France.

It should also be noted that Electra Consumer Products is owned by the Israeli holding company Elco Ltd, whose subsidiary Electra Ltd participates in the colonisation through the construction and maintenance of colonial infrastructures (roads, public buildings, universities, transport, housing, water distribution, telecommunications, services and supplies of equipment to the Israeli army and administration in their colonisation activities). Electra Ltd is on the list of 112 companies involved in the settlements, established by the UN in 2020 [2].

Through this agreement, Carrefour ignores its French and international legal and ethical obligations to respect human rights: these include the UN's due diligence guidelines for the respect of human rights, and the French law of 2017 on corporate duty of diligence. The due diligence plan established by Carrefour in 2018 is not sufficient at all from this point of view since it does not involve the protection of indigenous populations.

The organisations signatory of the report demand that Carrefour end this partnership in accordance with its obligations, and that the French government reinforce its recommendations to companies regarding the legal and reputational risks they take by associating themselves with colonisation.

The signatories of this report are also part of the French coalition for the European Citizens' Initiative #StopColonies [3] calling for an end to trade between the European Union and all colonised territories.

Settlement is a war crime, which is obviously taking place. It is particularly promoted by the Israeli parties which had a majority in the last elections. Companies, including Carrefour, the State and the European Union must take all their responsibilities to cope with this unacceptable situation.

Find the full report in French here. 

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[1] The report "The dangerous links of the Carrefour group with Israeli colonisation" can be downloaded through the link: https://plateforme-palestine.org/IMG/pdf/rapport_carrefour_colonisation_nov2022.pdf

[2] Since 1967, the Israeli authorities have been carrying out a policy of colonisation of the Palestinian territory that it occupies militarily. Today, there are more than 650,000 settlers in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. This settlement policy, which continues to accelerate, leads to the expulsion of Palestinian families and the deprivation of their livelihoods, and leads  them to face the violence of settlers and the army.

[3] The list of 112 settlement-related companies can be found here: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1475002?ln=fr

[4] The European Citizens' Initiative #StopColonies can be signed by following this link: www.stopcolonies.fr