A fund which invests money on behalf of the New Zealand government recently announced it will divest from Africa Israel due to the latter’s construction of homes in Yehuda and Shomron.

In a statement released by the New Zealand Superannuation Fund it was alleged that the Israeli multinational company was involved in the building of “Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The settlements have been cited as illegal under international law, and the Fund considers the companies’ involvement to be inconsistent with the United Nations Global Compact.”

The fund, which invests some $20 billion for New Zealand, stressed that the Israeli companies Elbit and Shikun and Binui would also be excluded due to their involvement in building “Israel’s wall on Palestinian land in violation of international law.”

Africa Israel is owned by Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev. In response to the move a BDS activist conveyed that his cohorts were “very heartened to see the growing momentum to boycott and divest from Leviev’s companies.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem / Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center)