In this flash report, Who Profits investigates the role of the Jerusalem light rail train in the consolidation of the Israeli settlement enterprise in occupied East Jerusalem, exposing in particular the critical involvement of international and Israeli corporations in the planning and execution of the project.

The Jerusalem light rail connects large Israeli settlement blocs in occupied East Jerusalem with the western part of the city, expropriating occupied Palestinian land and promoting increased territorial contiguity for settlements alongside growing territorial fragmentation for East Jerusalem’s Palestinian neighborhoods. While the Wall and checkpoints continue to suppress the freedom of movement of Palestinians, a system of light rail trains ensures settlers can move freely and rapidly on both sides of the Green Line. In the future, the Israeli government and the Jerusalem municipality intend for this system to encompass Jerusalem-area settlements in the West Bank.

The Jerusalem light rail is executed through public-private partnerships, thus making the involvement of private corporations crucial to its realization. As the building and operation of light rail train systems requires expertise not found in the Israeli market, foreign corporations play a decisive role. Who Profits has identified a number of Israeli and international companies involved in the light rail expansion project: Alstom (France), Amy Metom Engineers and Consultants (Israel), David Ackerstein (Israel), Groisman Engineering (Israel), Ineco (Spain) and Systra (France).