According to the Israeli research organization Who Profits, Veolia’s subsidiary Connex “operates regular bus services to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including Beit Horon and Givat Ze'ev along road 443.” Route 443 has frequently been labeled an “apartheid road” because it was built on Palestinian-owned land in the occupied West Bank, but West Bank Palestinians are forbidden from using the road. The Connex/Veolia website shows that four of its bus routes serve Israeli settlements – routes 7, 19, 109, and 110. Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories have been widely condemned as in violation of international law.
Who Profits also documents that Veolia “has a 5% share (through its subsidiary Connex Israel) in the CityPass consortium, which was contracted to operate the light rail project in Jerusalem. The light rail, which is still under construction, is designed to connect the city of Jerusalem with the illegal settlements surrounding it. Additionally, Veolia owns 80% of Connex Jerusalem, the company which will be operating the trains once the project becomes operational in August 2011.” The Veolia website explains (translated from Hebrew), “Veolia Transportation is the company that will operate the light rail in Jerusalem for CitiPass Corporation, and in this way it will be a pioneer in the operation of a mass transportation service in the state of Israel.” This statement indicates Veolia appears to have accepted the Israeli annexation of Jerusalem, which no nations have recognized.
The light rail project in Jerusalem has come under severe criticism because it aims to strengthen the links between illegal Israeli settlements in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem and Israel, rendering the settlements more permanent. Amnesty International has consistently described Israeli settlements a violation of international law.
Finally, Who Profits and Corporate Watchhave documented that “Veolia run[s] the Tovlan landfill site in the occupied Jordan Valley as well as provide[s] rubbish collection services to numerous settlements in the area.” Among other problems, the operation of the landfill by Veolia violates the prohibition on exploitation by the occupying power for its benefit of the natural resources of the occupied people.
