UNITED NATIONS, Oct 26: United Nations Special Rapporteur on humanitarian affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, called for an international boycott of all firms that benefit from Israel’s illegal settlements.

Speaking at a press conference late on Thursday special rapporteur Richard Falk said these companies must be boycotted until they comply with the standards of international human rights and humanitarian law.

(He was heckled at the press conference by Fox news and New York Post reporters who called him an activist until they were stopped by the moderator).

The report names Caterpillar, Motorola, and Hewlett Packard in the United States, in addition to Veolia Environment of France, G4S in Britain, Volvo Group and Assa Abloy in Sweden, Ahava, Elbit System and Mehadrin in Israel, Dexia in Belgium, Cemex of Mexico and Riwal Holding Group in Holland.

Richard Falk in his report “Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories since 1967”, said businesses named in his report that was submitted to the General Assembly, seeks to sanction business that profit from Israel’s settlement enterprise.

In his report, Falk states that Caterpillar provides Israel with equipment, bulldozers and construction devices that are used by Israel in demolishing Palestinian homes, schools and in uprooting Palestinian orchards.

He said that companies that invest in the Israeli occupation of Palestine, especially in Israel’s settlements, are in direct violation of international law standards, and human rights treaties, including the UN Global Compact and the Guiding Principles of the UN on Businesses and Human rights.

Flak added that the International Community must take legal and political actions against companies that are involved in businesses that benefit from the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine, especially in Israel’s illegal settlements.

The United States slammed the report as its Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, claimed that this report “poisons the environment for peace”. Israel also denounced the report “biased” and called for replacing Professor Falk. Israel’s settlements in the occupied territories are illegal under international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention; they are built on privately-owned Palestinian lands, and on “state lands” located in the occupied West Bank. Israel as a power that runs and maintains an illegal occupation of Palestine has no right to build on these lands.