UN report on firms linked to West Bank settlements stalls anew

GENEVA — The UN human rights chief says her office will not publish as expected this month a highly controversial report about companies doing business in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The move by High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet follows a campaign by the United States and others to squelch publication of what Israel called a “blacklist” that could drive away companies.

UN officials make public today a letter she sent citing the “complexity” of the task mandated by the Human Rights Council in 2016.

The report has been delayed before. It was expected to be published during the council’s session that ends March 22.

Last year, the rights office said 206 companies, mostly Israeli and American, were facing a review of business practices involving Israeli settlements, which are viewed as illegal by much of the world.

— AP