Amnesty slams CRH for Israeli wall work

Amnesty International, has condemned CRH for its involvement in the construction of a wall cutting off Palestinian land in Israel. CRH owns a 25 per cent stake in the Mashav Group, an Israeli holding company for Nesher Cement, which is the sole provider of cement in Israel. The wall - described as a "security fence" by the Israeli Government - runs for hundreds of miles along the West Bank/Israeli border but cuts into Palestinian territory over much of its length.

Amnesty has stated that, "CRH, through its subsidiaries Mashav and Nesher is likely to be providing the raw material of the fence/wall. If so, it would contravene the UN norms on the responsibilities of transnational corporations with regard to human rights."  EU ministers, the UN and US Government have all condemned the building of the wall and the route it takes, with the UN saying that it deliberately takes in prime agricultural land and water supplies as well as cutting off essential services for many Palestinians.