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Dutch government urges local firm to cancel

East Jerusalem project

By Barak Ravid | Aug. 26, 2013 | 8:30 AM | 25

Dutch engineering giant cancels East Jerusalem projectThe Dutch government had warned Royal HaskoningDHV against a wastewater treatmentplant with the Jerusalem municipality, because it was to be built over the Green Line.

By Barak Ravid | Sep. 6, 2013 | 7:59 PM | 10

1 Tweet 53

The sewage from the West Bank settlement of Betar Ilit contaminating fields in the nearby v illage of Wadi

Foquin. Photo by Yaron Rosenthal

Dutch infrastructure giant Royal HaskoningDHV announced Friday that it

has decided to withdraw from a project it planned with the Jerusalem

municipality because it will be built over the Green Line.

Two weeks ago, Haaretz reported that the Dutch government has asked

the company, Holland's largest engineering company to rethink its

participation the sewage treatment plant because the project was based on

the Palestinian side of the 1967 border, and that this would violate

international law.

In a statement issued Friday, the Dutch company said that it had "advised

the client it has decided to terminate the contract for the Kidron

wastewater treatment plant project." It added that "the project is in the

early stages of the preliminary design phase."

Royal HaskoningDHV carries out its work with the highest regard for

integrity and in compliance with international laws and regulations," it

stated. "In the course of the project, and after due consultation with

various stakeholders, the company came to understand that future

involvement in the project could be in violation of

international law. This has led to the decision of Royal

HaskoningDHV to terminate its involvement in the

project."

The Dutch government warned Royal HaskoningDHV

about the possible consequences of carrying out

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projects for Israeli companies in East Jerusalem or the

West Bank, Haaretz reported last month.

Dutch Foreign Ministry officials told Royal HaskoningDHV that such a

project would violate international law, leading the company to consider

pulling out of the project to avoid financial, legal and image problems.

In the project, a sewage treatment plant would be built to battle the

pollution in the Kidron stream, which runs from the Mount of Olives and

the village of Silwan in East Jerusalem toward the settlement of Ma’aleh

Adumim and the Dead Sea. The plant is to be built in Area C, under full

Israeli military and civilian control.

A senior Israeli Foreign Minstry official told Haaretz that in the past two

weeks there have been discussions with the Dutch government in an effort

to solve the crisis, including talks with the Netherlands’ ambassador in Tel

Aviv, Caspar Veldkamp. The Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands, Haim

Divon, has also held talks with senior officials at the Dutch Foreign

Ministry. At this stage it’s still unclear if the efforts by Israeli diplomats

will lead to the resumption of the project.

Two weeks ago, Haaretz reported that The Netherlands' government

contacted Royal HaskoningDHV and recommended that it reconsider

taking part in the project. The project was supposed to involve Mati, a

subsidiary of Hagihon, the municipality’s water and sewage company. In

the project, a sewage treatment plant would be built to battle the pollution

in the Kidron stream, which runs from the Mount of Olives and the village

of Silwan in East Jerusalem toward the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim and

the Dead Sea. The plant is to be built in Area C, under full Israeli military

and civilian control.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Yigal Palmor said in response that the

project meets all the requirements of Israeli and international law. "The

decision of the Dutch company to back away from the project indicates

that political pressure that has nothing to do with law was applied to it,"

Palmor said. "The result of the intimidation and harassment of the

company is that Palestinian residents will be denied an important public

service. It is hard to see how this serves a European interest."

PLO Executive Committee member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi welcomed the

company's move, saying, “This project deepens Israel’s annexation of East

Jerusalem, consolidates its occupation of the West Bank and constitutes

another obstacle to the establishment of an independent and sovereign

Palestinian state in the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

“I commend the Dutch government for translating its opposition to Israel’s

disastrous settlement policy into action, which is in line with EU policy, and for

urging Royal HaskoningDHV to end its participation in this illegal project,” said

Dr. Ashrawi.

“We call on international corporations to terminate their projects and activities

with links to the military occupation and to the illegal settlements."

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LATEST MOST VIEWED HIGHEST RATED Open All

06 The Dutch just bit off their nose to spite their face

By Arnold-Canada 06 Sep 2013 10:31PM

not with the zios pushing the seed ofabraham out

By try to keep up ignoramous in canada 06 Sep 2013 10:54PM

05 Good on them.

By Uncle Sam 06 Sep 2013 09:27PM

04 Good, get lost.

By A. 06 Sep 2013 09:15PM

03 Such great moralists with their projects in Saudiand Qatar.

By SK 06 Sep 2013 09:13PM

02 Withdraw Israel,Dutch soldiers'll protect you likethey protected Srebnica.

By Absolute Sw eden 06 Sep 2013 09:10PM

01 Good..Chinese are waiing for this opportunity.

By IsraJew el 06 Sep 2013 09:07PM

u want chinese to build?! haha u must bedesperate ;] anti-semitic?!-what? couldn'tcome up with a good argument, eh?poor u;]

By rly?;D 06 Sep 2013 10:32PM

Hm, won't deal with the Dutch?

By Rose 06 Sep 2013 10:34PM

dutch withdrawal

By marcos 06 Sep 2013 10:35PM

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