Stop the Wall Campaign and the Palestinian Federation in Brazil – FEPAL have today released a report on the Bilateral Cooperation in Research and Industrial Development between Brazil and Israel. (See below.)
We argue that beyond legitimizing and sustaining Israeli policies, the cooperation program risks to recognize and/or directly aid and assist the construction of the Wall and the settlement enterprise and the maintenance of the situation created by them as well as other Israeli violations of peremptory norms.
Currently new projects are being evaluated to the amount of 70 million Reais and are risking to benefit companies and projects that are illegally operating in the OPT or are benefiting or contributing to the sustainability of the Wall, the settlement enterprise and other violations of Palestinian rights. A short analysis of the 22 Israeli companies so far registered has shown that over 40 percent should pose serious questions of eligibility.
We recommend the Brazilian government, as a technical masure, suspends the current funding cycle until a solution is found to prevent the financing of:
• Israeli entities located in the OPT or with illegal operations in the OPT
• projects partially or fully implemented in the OPT or whose the implementation or results aid, assist or recognize the illegal Israeli operations in the OPT and its sustainability.
Brazil's state institutions promote and entertain extensive economic and research cooperation with Israel on all levels – federal, state level, municipalities and state institutions.
This type of cooperation not only directly or indirectly legitimises current Israeli policies but contribute to the sustainability of Israeli occupation, colonization and apartheid. In fact, this cooperation includes or risks including Israeli entities and activities in the OPT or activities (research, production, commerce) which benefits the illegal activities of Israel in the OPT, including the construction of the Wall and the settlement enterprise.
This stands in clear contradiction with Brazil's commitment to the creation of a Palestinian state with the 1967 borders and Palestinian right to self-determination. It further undermines the support Brazil has given to the Human Rights Council resolution on the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on the legal consequences of the Israeli settlement enterprise and risks to violate Brazil's constitutional obligation to give prevalence to human rights in international relations. Finally, it may bring Brazil in breach with its international obligations not to recognize or give aid and assistance to Israeli breaches of peremptory norms and the maintenance of the situation created by them.
For the full report in Englsih and in Portuguese, see below.