I doubt that a single person who works at Morningstar Inc. could explain what country actually owns the territories that Israel is supposedly occupying. They’d likely say “Palestine,” but there never has actually been a “Palestinian” state, or even any “Palestinian” nationality until it was invented in the 1960s. The actual owner of all the territories in question is Israel. Find out why in The Palestinian Delusion.
“Financial Giant Says Any Company Working in ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories’ Violates Human Rights,” by Adam Kredo, Washington Free Beacon, July 29, 2022:
A financial services giant builds its ratings around the premise that any entity operating in “occupied Palestinian territories” is connected to human rights violations—a standard that one foreign policy analyst says is a key pillar of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which tries to gin up an economic boycott of the Jewish state.
The research arm of Morningstar Inc., a firm that advises investors and rates companies based in part on their social ethics, may designate a company as participating in human rights violations just for working in an area it calls the “occupied Palestinian territories,” according to Richard Goldberg, a former U.S. national security official and Middle East expert who published an independent analysis on the matter for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank.
Sustainalytics, the research arm, in its guidance documents says its “position is that in occupied territories where human rights are being systematically violated, any business activity in that region is connected to the violations in some direct or indirect way,” according to a review of Morningstar’s methods conducted by the law firm White & Case. This standard is also applied to other areas immersed in conflict, such as Yemen, the Western Sahara, Tibet, and the South China Sea.
Goldberg, who independently analyzed the White & Case report, said the reliance on this standard for the “occupied Palestinian territories” results in companies being downgraded just for performing work in a disputed area of Israel. He says these standards ultimately promote divestment from Israel, as companies seek to distance themselves to avoid a negative rating from the company. Ratings produced by firms like Morningstar serve as a primary guide for investors and can greatly impact a company’s appeal.
Morningstar is already battling charges that Sustainalytics unfairly downgrades companies working with Israel’s security and anti-terrorism sectors. Critics like Goldberg say the ratings system unfairly targets Israel’s partners and ultimately bolsters the BDS movement, which wages economic warfare on the Jewish state and its allies. White & Case’s review of the company’s practices found some instances of bias in certain products. It recommended multiple reforms that Morningstar says it is undertaking to make its ratings products fairer to Israel. This includes altering the language in some of its ratings products and canceling others.
Sustainalytics classifies the “occupied Palestinian territories” as the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, and Golan Heights—areas that remain disputed.
“We’re now getting to the deepest root of the BDS activity inside Morningstar,” Goldberg said. “Every downgrade of an Israeli-connected company starts with a BDS campaign assumption that Jews have no right to live in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. If you’re a Jewish business operating near the holiest site for Jews in the world, you’re an assumed human rights violator according to Morningstar.”
“Just like the BDS campaign,” Goldberg said, “Morningstar’s premise is that companies that legitimize a Jewish presence in these areas must be investigated and harassed.”
A Morningstar spokesman would not answer specific questions about the ratings practices but told the Washington Free Beacon that the company “does not support the anti-Israel BDS movement.” The spokesman said the company is working with Jewish advocacy groups, including the Jewish Federations of North America, to address concerns of bias and implement the reforms included in the White & Case report….
Walter Sieruk says
Just the term alone “Occupied Palestinian territories” is an absurd falsehood.
For the very word “Palestinian”was originally used to describe anyone Arab or Jew who lived in that area of the Middle East.
It wasn’t until 1967 that the Arab/Muslims started to use that word to apply exclusively l ont to themselves as by doing so gives them any special right to that land.
In history the was a Jewish nation , Isreal but in contrast there was never ,ever a “Palestinian nation”
Likewise, there is not and never was a race or ethnic group of people who are “Palestinian.”
Walter Sieruk says
The term used today “Occupied Palestinian territories” is a hoax.
For the Bible informs its reader that all of that land in that area of the Middle East , including the West Bank belongs to the Jewish people by Divine Right., as found in Genesis 28:13-15. 35:10-12. Deuteronomy 32:48,49. Psalm 105:7-11.
Furthermore the Jews should also have all that land of historic rights., in seen in First Kings 4:20, 21, 24, 25, 8:55,56.
As Psalm 135:4 reads “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.” [N.K.J.V.]
Wellington says
Hey, but no human rights violations in the over 50 Muslim nations, all the while in Israel proper Israeli-Arabs have more rights than do Arabs in the over 20 majority-Arab countries that exist.
Start with the premise that much of the time the bulk of mankind is either a hypocrite or ignorant or both, and I promise you that you will fill in more pieces of the human puzzle than if you conclude the opposite.
somehistory says
OT An old film about despotism…it shows what is happening today.
begins at about the 18th minute, and ends about 20:10
https://thewashingtonstandard.com/cannibalism-what-the-wef-wants-or-judgment-of-god-video/
overman says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZjnbLVbZVI
gravenimage says
Financial giant claims companies working in ‘occupied Palestinian territories’ are linked to human rights violations
…………………………………
What a load of claptrap.
Very depressing that Morningstar is pushing this BDS bullsh*t.
Wellington says
+1
Shema says
Morningstar is pure trash! Morningstar is a trash brand with trash backers. Hacks!
Brenrod says
Hilarious, antisemitic MorningStar Inc. is giving ratings to guide investors on “social ethics”.