UN and Israel Under Global Scrutiny as UN Expert Urges Companies to End Business Ties

Romaan Khan
UN and Israel

The fragile relationship between the UN and Israel is once again under the spotlight after a UN human rights expert urged international companies to end their business dealings with Israel. The reason? She believes these partnerships are helping fuel human rights abuses in Palestine.

Francesca Albanese, who serves as the UN’s Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, didn’t mince her words. She warned that companies working in Israeli settlements or providing surveillance tools and weapons to the Israeli military could be contributing to violations of international law.

“Business decisions don’t exist in isolation,” she said. “They impact real people. It’s time to value human dignity over profit.”

Also Read:

Her comments come at a time when tensions in Gaza and the West Bank are flaring once again. With civilian casualties rising and international concern growing, her statement adds another layer of pressure — not just on governments, but on the private sector too.

Several human rights groups backed her stance, saying it’s long overdue. But Israeli officials fired back, calling the remarks politically biased and accusing the UN of ignoring Israel’s right to defend itself against militant threats.

As for global businesses? Most are staying quiet. While a few companies have distanced themselves from Israel-linked projects in the past, many are now in a wait-and-watch mode — unsure of what steps, if any, they’ll take next.

But one thing is clear: this call from the UN has reopened a difficult conversation — should profits ever come at the cost of human rights?