Is it time to end the Veolia contract?

Corporate Watch have produced a briefing on companies involved in Israel - see here. One of them they mention is the BBC - yesterday I wrote a letter to local press re their refusal to air the appeal - see here (thanks for the thank yous re that letter).

Photo: from Indymedia

Another of the companies is Veolia Environment - a French multinational that trades in water and waste management, energy and transport services and with who Stroud District has a contract.

Veolia Transport is apparently a subsidiary of Veolia Environment and a leading partner in the CityPass consortium, contracted to build a light rail tramway system linking west Jerusalem to illegal Jewish settlements such as Pisgat Ze'ev, French Hill, Neve Ya'akov and Gilo in occupied East Jerusalem. Once built (due to be completed in 2020), the rail system will help to cement Israel's hold on occupied East Jerusalem and tie the settlements even more firmly into the State of Israel. There is more you can read about their 'business' in Israel and it is no wonder that John Marjoram has raised concerns about this.

Veolia infact lost a €3.5m contract in Sweden over its involvement with the Jerusalem light rail project (see here). In 2006, Dutch bank ASN also broke off financial relations with Veolia for the same reason, as did the Irish tram drivers union broke. Is it time to end the Veolia contract?