German State Rail Backs Out of Israeli Train through the Occupied Territories

International campaign successfully encourages German National Railways (Deutsche Bahn) to withdraw from supportive role in the construction of an Israeli train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem that crosses Palestinian villages in the Occupied Territories.

German National Railways (Deutsche Bahn) has announced that it will no longer participate in the construction of a high-speed Israeli train line from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the route passes through occupied Palestinian territory yet is intended for the exclusive use of Israeli citizens.

The news comes after an international campaign let by German, Palestinian, and Israeli activists calling on the Deutsche Bahn Group to withdraw from the project, which activists claim violates international law.

The line is set to cut travel time between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to 28 minutes and is scheduled for completion in 2017. Deutsche Bahn was consulting with Israel Railways on the electrification of the route. According to a report in Der Spiegel, Germany’s Federal Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer told Deutsche Bahn CEO that the project was politically “problematic” and violated the “terms of international law.”

The German government indicated back in December that it was nervous about the project after German MP’s began questioning it. In a letter dated March 14, 2011 and obtained by Change.org, Germany’s Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs Enak Ferlemann wrote to MP Inge Höger:

“The German government has pointed out that for German foreign policy, the Israeli state railroad project traversing occupied territory, is problematic and potentially a violation of international law... In the meantime the management of DB International has also confirmed in writing that, in regards to this politically very sensitive project, DB International would be engaged in no further activities.”

Copies of the letters for media use: https://change.box.net/shared/lzzy0ffkaf

An international campaign calling on Deutsche Bahn to withdraw from the project was launched after “Who Profits” released a report detailing the involvement of European and American companies in the construction of the rail line. Who Profits is an on-going grassroots investigation effort by activists in The Coalition of Women for Peace, a leading Israeli feminist peace organization, dedicated to exposing companies and corporations involved in the occupation so as to promote a change in public opinion and corporate policies and eventually lead to an end to the occupation.

Meirav Amir, Coordinator of Who Profits, celebrated the German government’s decision.

“I want to congratulate the German government for making such a clear and bold statement about the illegality of this train route under international law,” she said. “It’s encouraging to see a government abide by their own treaties and adhere to international law, and we call on other European governments to follow suit in making sure that companies in their countries abide by international law.”

Amir said the Tel Aviv Jerusalem train line is one of many cases in which European and American companies are involved illegal Israeli construction projects in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“There is a discrepancy between what EU government's say and what actually happens,” she said. “Governments issue statements about the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, but when you see what the EU commercial sector actually does, usually it violates those very declarations, encouraging Israeli control over occupied territory.”

Amir thanked all those who supported the campaign.

“We have come to a point where we see that governments are slow to react,” she said. “So it's very helpful to have so many people join this campaign. As people who see that there is a collective responsibility here for the continued occupation of Palestinian lands, we need to call on governments and companies to stand up to their obligations in terms of both international law and ethical and responsible conduct.”

A number of groups participated in the campaign, parts of which was hosted on Change.org, the world’s fastest-growing platform for social change.

“Whatever one’s opinion of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, it’s impressive to see the activism of a small, Israeli feminist research group lead to a European government withdrawing from a milestone Israeli construction project over violations of international law,” said Change.org’s Director of Organizing Weldon Kennedy. “Change.org is about empowering anyone, anywhere to launch, drive and win social action campaigns around the issues important to them, and it has been remarkable to watch the growth and eventual success of this campaign.”

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Photo: Who Profits