Summary
Boycotting Teva Pharmaceutical
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is an Israeli multinational pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is one of the largest manufacturers of generic drugs in the world, with a presence in around 60 countries. It may seem like a harmless and beneficial company, but in reality, it is complicit in supporting the unlawful occupation of the occupied Palestinian territory by exploiting Palestinian resources, providing tax revenue to the Israeli colonial and occupation regime and its military, and violating international law and human rights.
According to Israeli NGO ‘Who Profits’, Teva Pharmaceutical operates several factories in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, such as Barkan Industrial Zone and Har Hotzvim Industrial Zone. These settlements are built on stolen Palestinian land and resources and deprive Palestinians of their right to self-determination, sovereignty, and dignity. Teva also benefits from the Israeli occupation by using Palestinian natural resources, such as water and minerals, without paying any compensation or royalties to the Palestinian people.
Teva capitalizes on the opportunities presented by Israel’s control over Palestinian territories, thereby gaining access to the Palestinian market. The assertion of ‘Quality and Security reasons’, along with economic and political motivations, cultivates a captive market within Palestine for both Israeli and global corporations. This situation allows these companies to take advantage of the limitations on Palestinian mobility when delivering goods or services.
Teva Pharmaceutical also contributes to the Israeli military-industrial complex by paying taxes to the Israeli government, which uses them to fund its brutal oppression of the Palestinian people. The Israeli military is responsible for countless atrocities against Palestinians, such as massacres, arrests, torture, demolitions, sieges, checkpoints, walls, and apartheid policies. The Israeli military also targets Palestinian health facilities and medical workers, denying Palestinians access to adequate health care and treatment.
By buying Teva’s products, you are indirectly supporting the Israeli occupation and its crimes against humanity. You are also ignoring the call of the Palestinian civil society for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law and respects Palestinian rights. BDS is a peaceful and nonviolent movement that aims to pressure Israel to end its occupation, colonization, and apartheid of Palestine. BDS is also a legitimate form of expression and protest that has been recognized by several international bodies and courts, such as the European Court of Human Rights.
Therefore, we urge you to boycott Teva Pharmaceutical and choose alternative products from other companies that do not support the Israeli occupation. By doing so, you will be showing solidarity with the Palestinian people and their struggle for freedom, justice, and dignity. You will also be sending a clear message to Teva Pharmaceutical that its complicity in the Israeli occupation is unacceptable and unethical.