Euskalwashing
It is nothing new for transnational companies to violate human, environmental and labour rights. But there is increasing social demand to control transnational corporations and enforce these rights. For this reason, companies have defined strategies to clear their negative image, using superficially the struggles and concerns of society.
Greenwashing, purplewashing, pinkwashing, rainbow washing, vegan washing, … and why not, euskalwashing.
The Basque railway company CAF must clean up its image since the launch in 2020 of the campaign to denounce the participation of various social groups in the Basque Country in the construction and maintenance of the Jerusalem tramway.
Last week the CAF – Elhuyar Awards have been given to research and dissemination, journalism and socialization in Basque of scientific and technological issues. And in this case, CAF uses Euskera and science in Palestine to justify its complicity with Israeli apartheid.
The Israeli regime of occupation, colonization and apartheid against the Palestinian people can only be maintained by international complicity, in which companies play a fundamental role.
In August 2019, a consortium of Israeli company Shapir and CAF won a contract for the deployment of the railway network linking the illegal colonies in the occupied Palestinian territory, known as the Jerusalem Light Rail (JLR). JLR East Jerusalem and the West Bank are part of the Zionist plan for accession to the State of Israel.
It is paradoxical that CAF supports a series of awards to disseminate and renew science in Basque while helping to consolidate the Israeli colonial project in Palestine
The project will involve the confiscation of Palestinian lands for their construction, another physical obstacle to the free movement of the Palestinian population. In addition, the tram connects the illegal colonies of Israel in the occupied territory of Palestine and in the city of Jerusalem, facilitating the movement of the population of the occupying power (colon) to the occupied territory.
CAF's complicity with Israeli apartheid, as well as being morally reproachable, can cause difficulties for subsidiaries such as CAF and Solaris to win new contracts. Because there is an international campaign for cities and governments in different countries to be able to cancel all contracts they have with CAF until international law is complied with.
The French company Veolia had to abandon the same illegal JLR project in 2015, after losing billions of dollars in international business, as a result of a permanent BDS campaign in Europe, the US and different Arab countries.
In this sense, it is paradoxical that CAF supports a series of awards for scientific dissemination and innovation in Euskera, while helping to consolidate the Israeli colonial project in Palestine. Since 1948, Israel has tried to deflate Palestine, particularly in the territories of 48 (now the State of Israel), where Israeli Arabs do not have the same rights as Israelis. Since 1967, it has maintained military occupation in the West Bank and Gaza, which has driven the construction of a wall over 700 kilometres long, as well as military controls, killings, attacks, detentions and other human rights violations, and it continues to ignore the right to return of Palestinian refugees, which currently exceed 5 million.
However, it seems that CAF does not care much about scientific development and innovation in Palestine (very difficult in the context of colonial occupation), as, despite the pressures of the workers, trade unions and social groups in the Basque Country and the demands of civil society and the Palestinian National Authority, in East Jerusalem it has continued to build an illegal tramway.
That is why we believe it is necessary to carry out an internal reflection in Elhuyar and in Basque production, in this case to justify the human rights violations that a Basque company carries out in Palestine, and we invite Elhuyar to review the participation of CAF in the awards of the 2024 edition.
We also insist that CAF should terminate the contract for the supply and maintenance of the East Jerusalem tram.
Alaitz Amundarain, Richard Wendling and Eneko Calle
BDS groups from Araba, Navarra and Bizkaia
Bidali zure iritzi artikuluak iritzia@argia.eus helbide elektronikora
ARGIAk ez du zertan bat etorri artikuluen edukiarekin. Idatzien gehienezko luzera 4.500 karakterekoa da (espazioak barne). Idazkera aldetik gutxieneko zuzentasun bat beharrezkoa da: batetik, ARGIAk ezin du hartu zuzenketa sakona egiteko lanik; bestetik, egitekotan edukia nahi gabe aldatzeko arriskua dago. ARGIAk azaleko zuzenketak edo moldaketak egingo dizkie artikuluei, behar izanez gero.
There are those who, being a brilliant brain, with definitions of "little detail," are experts in transforming and transforming the same thing, in other words. It was yours and it has been a project in eternum that has been repeated for decades. This was one of the main reasons to... [+]
On 26 December, during an air strike, the Israeli Army killed five Palestinian journalists trying to reach the city. They killed 130 Palestinian journalists. This news has reminded me of a couple of things, the first, the persecution of true journalists in any part of the world,... [+]
In recent months I have had to work in a number of institutes and, at some point, I have had to talk to the students about the possibilities offered by the labour market. The typology of the students is varied and in the same city varies a lot from one neighborhood to another,... [+]
The girl who appears in the center of photography, which can hardly be considered historical, is writing a list of adjectives: I, you, he, we, you, they. Looking down, I couldn't see what his gaze looked like.
Insensitive to the work of the photographer, you, slowly and... [+]
He forgives the oak trees, oak trees, oaks, herons, strawberries, dressings, chestnuts, birch, gorostidias, chamomiles, pine trees and all the societies of the trees, but today the hayedo has a date on the occasion of the celebrations of the winter border.
It is easier for me... [+]
Euskaraldia comes back. Apparently, it will be in the spring of next year. They have already presented it and the truth is that it has surprised me; not Euskaraldia himself, but his motto: We'll do it by moving around.
The first time I have read or heard it, the title of the... [+]
Novelty is usually one of the most heard words associated with the Durango Fair. The novelty is there, and here's the novelty. However, in some cases it is sufficient to give a different aspect to the previous one to paste that label. The CDs and remastered reeditions with... [+]
The Basque country has a very large water flow in the shortage. Every local drop curls and revives our culture. Offer a sea of water to that thirst. Although the Basque Country has come from a deep and dark well, we have all drawn our sample of salt water and turned it into a... [+]
Young people start consuming pornography before, as porn is their only sex education. How on earth have we come here?
Today, it has to be acknowledged that thanks to the Internet it is much easier to see pornography. Unfortunately, through a click, the 7-9 year-old boy comes to... [+]
On 5 December last, pp presented in the Parliament of Navarra a proposal for a law to decouple the processes of functionalization of the Secretariat and Intervention positions of the local entities of Navarra. If this were to happen, about 30 people would achieve well-deserved... [+]
This year marks the 51st anniversary of the United Nations proclamation of International Human Rights Day on 10 December. This date has become important in Euskal Herria and the Human Rights Observatory of Euskal Herria wants to offer some elements of reflection.
Progress on... [+]
Once upon a time the people became a repository of culture. Over time, the restrictive measures taken by the world authorities against any form of cultural expression were extinguishing the flame, creativity and imagination of peoples, as a candle gradually. However, a small but... [+]
The presence of Elon Musk in the media advances like a rocket after landing in the garden of the White House. Other powers, apparently, have been altered by the power and influence it is acquiring, and to reduce its influence, have charged the X network. In recent weeks, media... [+]