May 27, 2016
In April, ADL sent a letter to G4S recognizing its public statement that its decision to sell its business in Israel was unrelated to pressures from BDS campaigns. In the public statement, G4S said it “reiterates that it does not support the anti-Israel boycott by BDS or any other group.”
This letter was sent following consultation with sources, including in Israel, who indicated that BDS has not been a motivating factor in G4S’s decision. Our intention was to recognize the public condemnation of BDS by a company that has been in the crosshairs of BDS activists for years. Our expectation at that time was that G4S would continue to speak out and show strong evidence when needed to quash the perception that they had succumbed to BDS pressure.
Today, based on new confidential information that has been shared with ADL, we must question G4S’s statements that its decision to sell G4S Israel was unrelated to BDS pressure. We believe efforts to further question and investigate G4S’s decision are appropriate. We further note the statement of Israel’s Minister of Public Security and Strategic Affairs, Gilad Erdan, that: “BDS was a factor in the decision of security company G4S to sell their operations in Israel."
ADL is unwaveringly committed to combatting the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign wherever it appears – in the boardroom, on campus, in faith communities, in municipalities, and in the cultural and retail sphere. We do this work every day, often behind the scenes, in the U.S. and with partners around the globe.