Human Rights Watch report, under the title “Israeli Banks Profit from Settlements”, said that Israel’s largest banks are providing services that help support, maintain, and expand unlawful settlements by financing their construction in the occupied West Bank, including partnering with developers to build homes on land unlawfully seized from Palestinians.
The banks provide services to the settlements in building housing units and works on expanding settlements through acquiring property rights of new buildings' projects. These banking activities facilitate transferring Jews in an illegal way. The report was prepared following thorough researches in addition to interviews with lands’ owners.
Human Rights Watch report discovered that in addition to the construction projects, the banks are providing loans for regional and local authorities of settlements as well as real-estate loans for houses purchasers.
The report added that the International humanitarian law (IHL) bans the occupation state from using the lands, unless they are used for military purposes or for the best interest of local residents who live under the occupation. The report continued that the banks that fund or accompany construction projects in settlements become partners in settlement expansion.
Israel is using these lands in discrimination and is contributing to dangerous rights violations. Human Rights Watch urged compliance with rights responsibilities and stopping the commercial acts in Israeli settlements.
The report said that the banks should stop conducting activities inside the settlements, funding, managing or supporting settlements or other related activities. Banks cannot carry out commercial acts without contributing to discrimination, displacement and land pillage.
