The Economics of Genocide

In a horrific report entitled “From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide” (1), UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese describes how the Israel Government has funded and run its long-standing occupation of Palestine and has shifted into a new phase that is based on an “economy of genocide”. 

The report details how military operations initiated in October 2023 transformed entrenched control of illegally occupied Palestinian territory, into deliberate destruction of life and property, supported by a vast global industrial infrastructure.

Albanese presents data showing that the extensive bombing of Gaza, with 85,000 tons of ordnance, resulting in over 60 thousand deaths(2) (and counting), widespread infrastructure collapse, and hundreds of thousands of casualties, has been a multinational enterprise. 

Destruction and death on such an industrial scale has been planned and performed with the help and expertise of a  corporate-colonial complex involving multinational firms who specialise in weaponry, surveillance technology, construction machinery, financial instruments, and even academic research.

Additionally, the report highlights how global banks, asset managers, and pension funds have enabled Israel’s military actions through bond purchases and loans. Albanese also emphasizes the role of universities and research institutions in ideologically justifying occupation and supplying technological and strategic support for surveillance and warfare.

The repost concludes with a call for legal accountability under international law – for States and corporate actors alike – and urges governments to impose arms embargoes, end trade agreements and financially divest from entities linked to the genocide.

Organizations and Institutions Cited as Aiding Israeli Policies

Weapons & Defense Contractors

  • Elbit Systems
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Boeing
  • BAE Systems
  • General Dynamics
  • Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
  • FANUC (a Japanese group of companies that provide automation products and services such as robotics and computer numerical control wireless systems)

Technology & Surveillance Companies

  • Google / Alphabet
  • Amazon
  • Microsoft
  • IBM
  • Palantir 

Heavy Machinery Providers

  • Caterpillar
  • Volvo Group
  • Hyundai 

Financial Institutions

  • BlackRock
  • Vanguard
  • Allianz/PIMCO
  • BNP Paribas
  • Barclays
  • CitiGroup
  • JPMorgan Chase
  • Deutsche Bank
  • Bank of America
  • Wells Fargo 

Academic & Research Institutions

  • MIT
  • Technical University of Munich (TUM)
  • University of Edinburgh 

Charitable and Faith-Based Organizations

  • Jewish National Fund
  • Christian Friends of Israeli Communities
  • Dutch Christians for Israel

References

  1. From economy of occupation to economy of genocide – (A/HRC/59/23) Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967  https://tinyurl.com/ykt5kzsn

2. OCHA: http://tiny.cc/ow4p001

Social Justice Party Opposes Government Move to Proscribe Palestine Action

The Social Justice Party strongly opposes the UK government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action under Section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000. This deeply troubling move represents a dangerous escalation in the criminalisation of peaceful protest and civil dissent in the UK.

The Social Justice Party firmly upholds the principles of freedom of speech and the right to non-violent protest – principles which are now being systematically eroded. Branding activists who engage in civil disobedience as “terrorists” sets a profoundly alarming precedent, especially when the target of protest is UK complicity in human rights violations abroad.

This decision is part of a wider trend under recent governments of introducing legislation that severely restricts basic human rights, including the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act and the Public Order Act. These laws, and now this proscription, represent a clear strategy: to silence dissent, intimidate campaigners, and stifle legitimate opposition to government policy. The use of terrorism legislation to effectively ban civil opposition is fundamentally wrong and anti-democratic.

We stand in solidarity with a growing number of civil society organisations, legal experts, and public figures who have raised urgent concerns about this authoritarian overreach. These include:

  • Amnesty International UK
  • Liberty
  • Quakers in Britain
  • Palestine Solidarity Campaign
  • Public Interest Law Centre
  • Campaign Against Arms Trade
  • European Legal Support Centre
  • International Centre of Justice for Palestinians
  • British Palestinian Committee
  • Jewish Voice For Labour
  • Palestinian Youth Movement
  • University and College Workers for Palestine
  • Stop the War Coalition

Prominent individuals such as George Monbiot, Juliet Stevenson, Frankie Boyle, Brian Eno, and Alan Hollinghurst have also condemned this proscription, warning of its chilling effect on democratic expression.

The Social Justice Party calls for the immediate reversal of this decision and urges all those who value freedom and democracy to speak out. We reaffirm our commitment to defending the right to peaceful protest, opposing authoritarian legislation, and standing with communities fighting for justice and accountability.