Press for Conversion! (Issue # 67) Fall 201250

was chosen by Volvo as “its major bodybuilder in the Middle East.” The “WhoProfits” database notes that Merkavimmakes an armoured version of Volvo’s“Mars Defender” bus for an Israeli pub-lic transport company, called Egged. Itsfleet of 45 armoured Volvo buses areused to transport Israeli residents andarmed soldiers to West Bank settle-ments. As Swiss-based human rightsactivist Adri Nieuwhof notes:

“Article 49 of the Fourth GenevaConvention…explicitly states thatthe Occupying Power is not allowedto deport or transfer parts of its owncivilian population into the territoryit occupies. Bus services with Vol-vo subsidiary’s Mars Defender ar-mored buses facilitate the maintain-ing of illegal settlements in the OPT[Occupied Palestinian Territory].”

Volvo also sells vehicles to Phil-car, an Israeli company that armours ve-hicles. Philcar proudly calls itself “aleading provider to the Israeli Army,Police, Special Forces and other gov-ernmental agencies.” Philcar alsoarmours vehicles that are sold to it byMercedes and Unimog (both owned byDaimler), as well as International Truckvehicles (made by Navistar), and Toy-ota. (See previous issue, pp.22-23 and

Volvo AB

40-41.) Philcar promotes its businesssaying “all of our products have goneinto battle and are combat proven.”

ReferencesVolvoen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo

Volvo Group, Who Profits databasewww.whoprofits.org/Company%20Info.php?id=799

Letter to Volvo from New England Conferenceof The United Methodist Church, April 24, 2007.www.neumc.org/console/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/Divestment_Correspondence_ BRLPYESM.pdf

“Israeli Troops Demolishing Houses,” byhaithmkatib@gmail.com, November 24, 2011.www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MLDEQ00-IA

David Cronin, “Volvo equipment enabling tor-ture, facilitating occupation,” The ElectronicIntifada, November 24, 2010.electronicintifada.net/v2/article11640.shtml

“A Volvo subsidiary provides mobile interroga-tion rooms used by Israel’s General SecurityServices,” Who Profits newsletter, April 2010.www.whoprofits.org/Newsletter.php?nlid=54

Mayer’s Cars and Truckswww.whoprofits.org/Company%20Info.php?id=798

Adri Nieuwhof, “Volvo providing armored busesfor Israeli settlements,” The Electronic Intifada,October 7, 2009.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/569

Manufacturing Facilitieswww.rabintex.com/manufacturing_facilities.asp,

philcar.co.il Company Profilewww.facebook.com/pages/philcarcoil/162205220493231

This Swedish corporation, withUS$47 billion in assets (2010),is one of the world’s largest

heavy-duty diesel engine manufactur-ers and the second largest producer ofheavy trucks. Volvo is also a leadingmanufacturer of construction equip-ment, buses and aerospace components.Its leading shareholder is France’sRenault, which holds a 21.8% stake inVolvo. (See pp.31-32.)

The “Who Profits from the oc-cupation” database reports that Volvo’sheavy-duty trucks and constructionequipment have been used in the occu-pied territories of East Jerusalem andthe West Bank to build Israeli infra-structure such as:

the separation wall which annexesPalestinian land,Illegal settlements,Segregated roads that Palestiniansare not permitted to use, andCheckpoints that impede Palestin-ian travel.

Volvo’s so called “civil engi-neering” machinery, such as its L120ELoaders, are used to demolish thehomes, greenhouses and businesses ofPalestinians, as well as to destroy theiragricultural lands and orchards. Nu-merous online photos show Volvoheavy equipment – protected by Israelitroops – reducing Palestinian homes torubble in the occupied territories.

Volvo Buses owns 26.5% of anIsraeli company called MerkavimTransportation Technologies. The re-maining 73.5% is held by Meyer’s Carsand Trucks, which is Volvo’s exclusivedealer in Israel. Merkavim provides theIsraeli Prison Authority with all of thebuses it needs to transport Palestinianprisoners from the occupied territoriesto Israeli jails. These Volvo-madebuses are also used by Israel’s secretpolice, the “Shin Bet,” as mobile inter-rogation rooms for political prisoners.

Merkavim’s website says that it

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