Should Dexia Stop Financing Israeli Settlements?
Inquiries to the company only reveal what is already known. That Dexia indeed finances Israeli settlements in the Palestinian areas and that the amount of loans at the time of the takeover of the Israeli branch was 5% but has now been decreased to 1%. One percent in absolute numbers is still a considerable amount of financing. Is dumping some toxic waste still okay, or must Beligians demand a halt to all settlement financing by Dexia? Cees van Dam, professor at King’s College London and the Dutch University of Utrecht specializes in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and answers the question carefully: “Corporate Social Responsibility means that a company does much more than just abides [by] the law. A business shouldn’t only focus on its economic results but also act with respect towards human rights and take care of the effects of its activities on humans and the environment.” CSR as van Dam defined it is not a legal standard. It is a social standard suggested by the OESD (Organiz
