Veolia sells its shares in the Jerusalem Light Rail and completes withdrawal from the Israeli market

[azurnoir]

Until August 2015, Trasndev, a Veolia Environnement subsidiary, held a minority interest (5%) in CityPass, a consortium tendered by the Israeli government to build the JLR, as well as full ownership (100%) of the train’s operator - Connex Jerusalem. The JLR was designed to connect the western part of Jerusalem with the illegal settlements surrounding the city. Operational since December 2011, the JLR crosses the Green Line and passes through the Palestinian neighborhoods of Shuafat and Beit Hanina.

The sale of the JLR is the final step in Veolia’s gradual withdrawal from the Israeli market and several illegal operations in the occupied Palestinian territory. Through its various Israeli subsidiaries, the company has engaged in multiple sectors of the local economy, including transportation, water, waste management and energy. Since the Israeli private sector, much like the Israeli government, considers the settlements as a legitimate part of Israel, Veolia’s Israeli subsidiaries operated freely beyond the Green Line. Their activities included the provision of public bus services to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the operation of a landfill in the occupied Jordan Valley, wastewater treatment facility for settlements’ sewage, and finally the construction and operation of the controversial JLR.

In the last few years, Veolia Environnement sold its Israeli subsidiaries piecemeal. In September 2013, the company sold its local bus services subsidiary to Afikim Company and in April 2015, water, waste and energy activities in Israel were also sold to the US-based investment firm Oaktree Capital Management. At the same time, Veolia tried to distance itself from the JLR by decreasing its holdings in Veolia Transportation – the multinational’s transport services division. In 2011, Veolia Transportation was merged with Transdev UK, leaving Veolia with a 50% share in the new company. To further blur Veolia’s involvement in the JLR, the new subsidiary – Veolia Transdev, changed its name to Transdev.

As of August 2015, Veolia Environnement is no longer active in the Israeli market and in the occupied Palestinian territory. Nevertheless, the company has left behind irreversible facts on the ground. The construction of the railway involved the expropriation of occupied land that was not done for the benefit of the occupied population, and hence contradicts international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention. The JLR continues to serve the Jewish settlement neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem and passes daily through the Palestinian neighborhoods of Beit Hanina and Shuafat, by doing so it will play a substantial role in the reinforcement of Israeli sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem for years to come.

http://whoprofits.org/content/veolia-sells-its-shares-jerusalem-light-rail-and-completes-withdrawal-israeli-market

[oberliner]

1. Veolia's Other Offenses

Excerpt:

Profits over people...

Veolia is the largest water privatization business in the world, and has come under attack by water rights activists for many of its contracts that reveal consistent prioritization of private profit at the expense of the environment and public interest. See the 2011 report by Food & Water Watch for more information. While public facilities are accountable to the public, often creating increased transparency and efficiency, private facilities are not. If a company chooses to abuse its privilege by hiking up price rates or cutting costs in ways that are detrimental to the public, it is much more difficult to fight. Worldwide, consumers report that Veolia consistently charges high rates, provides poor service, and fails to make promised improvements.

As highlighted in a report prepared by Novato Friends of Locally Operated Wastewater as part of their campaign against this company, Veolia has additionally shown a lack of care for public welfare by:

Cost-cutting and lack of proper oversight
High staffing turnover and failure to attract experienced staff
"Regional Response" plans slow down emergency responses
Liability assignment provisions skirt full responsibility
Contract fee schedules encourage maintenance deferrals & substandard equipment use while discouraging water conservation efforts

http://www.globalexchange.org/economicactivism/veolia/otheroffenses

They sound pretty awful. Good riddance to them.

[azurnoir]

2. yes Israel can indeed breathe a sigh of relief :)

except the offenses listed in your link all occurred in the US mostly in states with poor oversight

[King_David]

3. Better off without them nt

[azurnoir]

4. They still operate in the US

[King_David]

6. We would be better off without them too. nt

[azurnoir]

7. thanks glad you clarified that

oberliners link was about the US

[6chars]

5. So long and thanks for the train