BDS Victory: Veolia sells Israel businesses targeted by Palestinian-led boycott campaig

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

http://mondoweiss.net/2015/04/businesses-palestinian-campaign

Palestinian civil society activists have heralded the decision by French corporate giant Veolia to sell off nearly all of its business activity in Israel as a huge victory for the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The sale follows a worldwide campaign against the company’s role in illegal Israeli settlements that cost the firm billions of dollars of lost contracts.

The boycott Veolia campaign was launched in Bilbao, the Basque Country, in November 2008, to pressure the company to end its involvement in illegal Israeli projects that serve settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT).

​Under BDS pressure, Veolia has failed to win massive contracts with local authorities across Europe​,​ the US​ and Kuwait​​. City councils across Europe have passed resolutions ​excluding the firm from ​tenders ​due to its involvement in Israeli human rights violations.

Veolia executives have admitted that the campaign has cost the company “important contracts”, and financial analysts have repeatedly spoken about the financial cost of the campaign to Veolia.

All the hasbara propaganda put together will not stop the world backlash against Israeli apartheid.

[Smithryee]

1. Okay, that just means more stink and more hard walking for Palestinians

as more garbage gets piled upon Palestinian properties.

BDS, indeed.

Health hazard.

Congratulations, you have successfully forced BDS on someone who's collecting garbage, treating wastewater, and giving transportations between East Jerusalem with Israel

It means that the Palestinians are going to fare worse, thanks to the BDS efforts.

What you think?

Don't tell me - you think it's wonderful because Israel nets absolutely nothing from the withdrawal of Veolia.

A little digging tells me something different, and it ain't because of BDS:

http://www.veolia.com/en/veolia-group/media/press-releases/veolia-sells-its-activities-israel

Veolia has signed an agreement with funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., a global investment
manager, for the sale of its water, waste and energy activities in Israel.

This transaction will contribute to Veolia’s debt reduction by around €250 million. It is part of Veolia’s strategy to refocus the Group geographically and to concentrate on areas where it can seize less capital intensive opportunities, as defined by its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Antoine Frérot at the end of 2011.

Closing of the transaction is subject to the approval of the Israeli Antitrust Authority and change of control authorizations common in such transactions. It is expected by Q4 2014.

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Let me translate that for you, R. Daneel Olivaw - Veolia thinks handling Palestinians crap and bussing them isn't as profitable that they would like, so they sold off everything, but still have some shares in Israeli infrastructure and refocused elsewhere.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

2. Boy-oh-boy, you keep on jumping that post count by the day. One would come to believe that

you want to get beyond the dreaded 100.

[Little Tich]

3. Veolia isn’t Apartheid free just yet.

It’s still involved in the East Jerusalem Light Rail.