In the same week that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made headlines by once again engaging in a tirade against Israel, the Iranian government can under criticism by the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movements against Israeli occupation and apartheid.

Iran would not seem like the candidate to qualify. And while it is accurate that the country has no official contacts or private dealings [Iranian businesses are prohibited from trading with the Jewish state, but it is widely believed that Iranian produce does sell in Israel via Turkish shipment]; the BDS movement not only campaigns against Israeli firms, but businesses that operate in Israel and particularly those that aid the occupation. The goal of the latter is to pose an additional cost to Israel’s economy as long as the nation continues to brutally and militarily rule over the Palestinians.

Dubai monorail.

Firms that compete for contracts related to settlements only entrench the injustice against the Palestinians and reward Israel for its crimes and massacres. It is for this reason that Iran has come under focus.

The French high-speed rail firm Alstrom has in the past several years been awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in state contracts, and the company even maintains a headquarters in Tehran.

Another French firm Veolia Environment - diversified, but also specializing in transport - is currently in negotiations with the Iranian government with regards to upgrading the city’s transport system.

The problem and hypocrisy involved is that as Iran condemns Israel with one hand, it rewards firms aiding the occupation with the other hand.

Both firms have been rightly accused of profiting from the dispossession and subjugation, and murder of the Palestinians. Veolia and Alstrom won a 2002 contract from the Israel government to build a light-rail network that will connect West Jerusalem and Occupied East Jerusalem with the Occupied West Bank. The contract includes a 30-year exclusive right to maintenance.

The BDS movements and the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) have called on the Iranian government to “take the necessary steps to ban Veolia and Alstom and their subsidiaries from any contracts and operations in the country” in support of the Palestinians and opposition to Israel’s military occupation; the longest military occupation in the history of the world.

Iran is not the only country that simultaneously officially boycotts Israel while awarding contracts to firms that profit from the occupation.

The Persian Gulf is planning to build a high-speed rail network akin to Europe’s. Qatar and Kuwait intend to invest $10 billion on national rails, the United Arab Emirates has earmarked $20 billion, and Saudi Arabia will spend $15 billion on expanding its own network. The Saudi plan will include a 225mph rail from Mecca to Medina built for the purpose of Hajj pilgrims that could be running by 2010. The Gulf is a great need of a rail system to reduce street traffic; besides high-speed rails, local metro networks and monorails are planned. Dubai, for instance, will be opening its monorail this September. And in addition to the national networks, the Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] plans a $14 billion rail network that will continue the entire Arabian Peninsula and further extend into Jordan.

Although Asia and the United States are also planning rail upgrades/expansions, none compare to the scope the Gulf is planning...as of yet, anyway. As The Economist put it, “the richest pickings are undoubtedly to be found in the Gulf.”

The directory of Europe’s railway association, Unife, Michael Clausecker has called the Gulf’s plans “phenomenal” for Europe’s industry, which is well-placed to rep most - if not all - of the contracts. Europe’s industry is naturally very excited at the prospect of $70 billion worth of business, and more plans could still be announced. The Gulf would provide a steady source of income as the Europe market is rather well-developed. And due to the high heat and sand, winning firms will have to attend more frequently to maintenance; another source of revenue.

One of those firms competing for contracts is Alstrom, which is the world’s preeminent rail firm. Thus far Alstrom has not been awarded any contracts, most likely due to the fact that the only contract thus awarded has gone to French firm Thales in a joint bid with Saudi construction giant the Bin Ladin Group for the Kingdom’s North-South rail.

A concentrated effort should be made toward Gulf government to make sure that as long as Alstrom does business in the Occupied Territories it should not be awarded with funds from Arab-Muslim governments. There is a lot to be lost by Alstrom if such an ultimatum is made toward the firm. They would likely terminate their contract with the Israeli government, or at least that which pertains to the Occupied Territories.

Not only would it be hypocritical for Gulf government, all of whom boycott Israel, to hand out contracts to firms profiting from the Occupations, but it would appear even more reprehensible given that Europeans governments have set a high-standard in this regard:

Veolia and Alstom have already been targeted for boycott in countries across Europe. In 2006 the Dutch ASN Bank decided to exclude Veolia from its portfolio on account of the firm’s actions in occupied Jerusalem. In 2008, the company lost its bid to for a contract with Stockholm for eight years, worth 3.5 billion euro, partially due to a strong public sentiment against the company due to its involvement the Jerusalem rail project.

Later, the Swedish national pension fund AP7 blacklisted Alstom, partially for its Jerusalem involvement.

Less than a week ago Veolia lost a contract worth 750 million euro in Bordeaux, France after to pressure from pro-Palestine activists.

At a time when Europe is blacklisting these companies for their work in the Occupied West Bank, it would be beyond the pale if Gulf governments would provide them with [lavish] contracts. Or is European solidarity with the Palestinians stronger than that of Arab monarchs? A proposition many Arabs would concur with, myself included.

Alstrom et al should be blacklisted by decent governments and municipalities everywhere. As long as firms do business with the illegal, unjust Occupation, then they should be made to pay a price. Contracts should go to firms that refuse to do work with the Occupation, therefore enforcing a boycott of Israel by making costs and benefits apparent.

Sources: Boycott campaign urges Iran to cut ties with settlement-linked companies.

Making tracks.