THE HAGUE, (PIC)-- A European rights group has called on Saudi Arabia to boycott French transportation giant Alstom, saying the company “clearly defied international law” by participating in the construction of the controversial Jerusalem Light Rail, which passes through illegal Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem.
Alstom is one of the companies which has placed a bid on a multi-billion dollar high-speed railway linking the holy cities of Makkah and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
The European Initiative to Remove the Walls and Settlements said boycotting the company for its participation in the Jerusalem project, which was designed to change the Arab identity of the city, “contributes greatly in stopping other international companies from participating in projects aimed at Judaizing Jerusalem”.
EIRWS chairman Amin Abu Rashid believed that Alstom directly contributed to Israel’s crime of trying to change the demographic reality in Jerusalem “in clear defiance of international law”, even as calls have recently been made for the company to curb its participation in the project, which provides illegal outposts access to Jerusalem.
Abu Rashid said that going into business with the company would open the door for its competitors to offer services to the Israeli occupation authorities, when in the past they would have refused to do so for fear of being boycotted at the cost of billions of dollars.
Abu Rashid called on the Saudi Arabian authorities to block Alstom from the bid to construct the Haramain High Speed Railway project, wondering how such a company could be rewarded after aiding Israel in the settlements.
EIRWS, which operates under the banner of “Palestine without walls and settlements”, is a consortium of European human rights and legal advocacy organizations that was established in June 2010.
Major European companies have blacklisted Alstom for its participation in the Jerusalem Light Rail.
European rights group accuses Alstom of ‘direct involvement’ in Judaizing J’lem
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