How Orange telecom supported Israel’s massacre in Gaza

Orange providing free service to Israeli soldiers deployed near Gaza during the assault last summer that killed more than 2,200 Palestinians. The Israeli affiliate of the French telecom company has “adopted” a military unit that was in action in locations where hundreds of civilians were killed. (via Frumline)

The Israeli affiliate of Orange, the French multinational telecom company, provided direct material support to Israeli soldiers who participated in the deadly assault on Gaza last summer.

The firm has also sponsored two Israeli military units for several years, evidence of its deep complicity in Israeli military occupation and human rights abuses.

One of these units, the “Ezuz” tank company, took part in last summer’s attack on Gaza and was active in specific locations where hundreds of Palestinian civilians were killed.

Orange, previously known as France Telecom, is a major provider of mobile phone, land line and Internet services in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, including in Jordan and Egypt (through its subsidiary Mobinil). In the UK, Orange operates as part of a joint venture called EE, and in Belgium it owns a big stake of Mobistar.

In Israel, Orange makes its profits by licensing its brand to an independently owned Israeli company called Partner Communications Ltd. and selling equipment and other services to it...........

Orange waived service fees for soldiers “located in the area around Gaza,” during the attack, Israel Hayom reported.

Every day during the assault, Orange sent “three mobile units to the soldiers’ gathering spots around Gaza,” the website Frumline reported in a 22 July 2014 article headlined “Orange in action on the border due to Operation Protective Edge.”

“The mobile units are equipped with generators, chargers for all types of devices, hundreds of fully charged batteries, and cellular devices, to allow soldiers to be in contact with their homes,” Frumline stated......................

Orange’s support for the Israeli military long predates last summer’s attack on Gaza.

“Our ongoing association with the soldier population began with the establishment of the Adopt A Soldier project by the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers,” Orange says on the “corporate responsibility” page of its Israel website.

As part of this project, the company has “adopted” two units: the “Ezuz” armored company, since 2005 and, since 2008, the “Shachar” search and rescue unit.

Dozens of firms, the vast majority Israeli, take part in the Adopt A Soldier project – “Ametz Lohem” in Hebrew. Among the more well-known internationally are the Israeli airline El Al and Strauss, the maker of Sabra brand hummus.

The participation of a multinational like Orange stands out – the only other readily recognizable international firm is the business services company Ernst & Young, which sponsors a drone unit.

According to the Orange website, the “adoption” consists of “joint activities of the soldiers with employees of the company, such as: sports, use of company facilities for training and conferences, support for lone soldiers, accompanying discharged soldiers on their pathway to civilian life and financing battalion-wide entertainment activities: hikes, athletics days, awards ceremonies for outstanding soldiers, and more.” .......................


http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/how-orange-telecom-supported-israels-massacre-gaza


Looks like Orange should be the next big target for the BDS programme now Violea has been hit, bloody glad I don't have an Orange phone.

This article made me fall asleep.

Good, you won't tax your brain cell then.

risingsun wrote:Good, you won't tax your brain cell then.

SSHHHHH! I'm asleep.

You make more sense asleep.

How can it be an Israeli massacre when you apply the following:

1) Hamas indoctrinates many of the people of Gaza with glorifying martyrdom.

2) It commands people to stay where they are after being warned to leave by Israel through various methods.

3) It makes them believe to stay will make them martyrs and be glorified in Heaven that they have to die for Gaza.

Thus Hamas sentencing its own people to certain death.

4) It places weapons within schools and hospitals without the knowledge of the citizens, thus making them human shields.

5) Israel only fires back at where the rockets have been fired from.

Thus Hamas is sentencing its citizens deliberately to death.

6) Hamas builds no bomb shelters, though has built countless tunnels to smuggle weapons in and to use the tunnels to attack Israel. It does not allow though the citizens to use the tunnels.

7) The rockets used by Hamas are inaccurate and a quarter end up falling in Gaza, thus killing its own citizens

Again Hamas ensuring maximum civilian casualties.

Now Israel withdrew form Gaza and its settlements their only for within a short time Gaza to attack Israel again, even though Israel had made clear concessions. Israel more than any country attempts to minimize casualties, Hamas ensures there will be maximum. Hamas when it loses popular support starts conflicts as it did last year by proceeding to attack Israel with over 200 rockets. Why would it do this? To entice a response which even though restrain was made by Israel with 200 rocket attacks. Israel hits back and Hamas ensures plenty of children and women are in areas where they store weapons and use their religion ideology to make people believe it is glorious to die and that this will happen if they do not leave after being warned by Israel. Hamas has ensured a massacre being responsible for them all by their actions and at the end their support grows again. This cycle has happened twice.


Those on the left that hate Israel are constantly silent on all of this.