Watchdog clears JCB of links to Palestine abuse
A GOVERNMENT watchdog has found JCB is not linked to human rights abuses in Palestine.
A complaint by Lawyers For Palestinian Human Rights (LPHR) has been under investigation for two years by National Contact Point - a body set up by the Government to check that businesses are behaving responsibly.
The group’s complaint stemmed from the use of JCB diggers and excavators in the demolition of Palestinian homes and the building of Jewish settlements in their place.
The NCP has now issued its findings. It said Rocesterheadquartered JCB had not conducted any “due diligence of any kind, despite being aware of alleged human rights impacts and that its products are potentially contributing to those impacts”. It was also pulled up for having “no policy commitment to respect human rights”.
However, the NCP threw out three of the LPHR’s five allegations, clearing JCB of any links to actual human rights abuses. It ruled JCB had not contributed to, facilitated or failed to try to prevent any “adverse human rights impacts”.
Part of its investigation centred on JCB’s business relationship with Comasco, the sole dealer of its machines in Israel. The NCP found no evidence JCB machines directly sold by Comasco had actually been used to demolish Palestinian homes.
It said: “Comasco could have sold JCB products to third parties, individuals, small dealers, construction companies, or the Israeli Government. The JCB products being used to demolish Palestinian properties in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) may be owned by those who have commissioned the demolition, be on hire, or be equipment owned by contractors employed to do the work.
“The products could have also come from the second-hand market. Products purchased from this route will have no connection with either Comasco or JCB.”
A JCB spokesman said: “We are very pleased that the UK NCP has firmly rejected the various allegations made by the Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights that JCB either contributes to, is responsible for, or is otherwise linked in any way to adverse human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), either directly or indirectly, and/or that JCB has failed to mitigate or prevent such adverse human rights impacts.
“This re-affirms the NCP’s position set out in its Initial Assessment dated 12 October 2020 that there has been no wrongdoing by JCB. In particular, the NCP conclusively found that the alleged human rights impacts cannot be linked to JCB’s business operations or contractual arrangements. The process has now concluded.
“There was no basis for the Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights to make such allegations about JCB. As an organisation, JCB does not condone any form of human rights abuse and we have a consistent record of providing urgent and substantial support in response to natural disasters around the world.