Who Profits (WP)

Who Profits (WP) is a research-based non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in 2007 to support the anti-Israeli boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. WP is a sister organization of the now defunct left-of-center group Coalition of Women for Peace, that was formerly a project of the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ). 1 2 3 4

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At-A-Glance

Type: Organization, Other
Issue Areas: Foreign Policy
Website: www.whoprofits.org
Formation:

2007

Contents

    WP claims to produce research and analyses on Middle East-based “multinational corporations facilitating and profiting from Israel’s military repression, settlement expansion and exploitation of resources and labor.” 5 WP publishes a database of international and Israeli corporate profiles of companies operating within the State of Israel along with specific sectors, themes, and projects of said corporations on the list. 5

    WP’s database is used by several international organizations including the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). 6

    Corporate Database

    Who Profit’s corporate database lists roughly 464 companies that operate within Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, and the Syrian Golan. Several organizations include Zorganika, a private Israeli company that grows organic dates in Gaza; Volkswagen Group’s Traton SE, which manufactures armored riot control chasses; and IBM which operates the Israeli Population Registry that stores information on Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, West Bank, and Gaza. 7 8 9

    Activities

    In July 2024, Who Profits (WP) posted a statement on its X (formerly Twitter) account criticizing Corsight AI, a Canadian/Israeli company that provides facial recognition technology that WP claims is used “for mass surveillance in Gaza.” 10

    In April 2024, WP produced a report that protested the COMSA Corporation’s involvement in the construction of the Jerusalem light rail system, which it claims is being built on Palestinian land and would lead to fragmenting neighborhoods. 11

    In December of 2023, WP released a report titled “The Companies Supplying Weapons to Israel’s Attack on Gaza.” Said report listed several organizations included Boeing, Caterpillar, Elbit Systems, ThyssenKrupp, Oshkosh, General Electric, Israel Weapon Industries, and Smart Shooter. 12

    In July of 2023, WP released a post through its X account criticizing the Hewlett Packard Enterprise seemingly renewing its contract to provide Itanium servers to the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority. 13

    Funding

    According to watchdog group NGO Monitor, nearly 60% of Who Profit’s (WPs) revenue comes from foreign donors. The group claims that several organizations include Ireland-based Trocaire, Fagforbundet, the Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees, the Germany-based Medico International, and the Church of Sweden. Private foundation Rockefeller Brothers Fund, provided several grants to WP from 2019 through 2023 totaling near $465,000. 14 15

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    References

    1. [1] Entities. “Find a Company.” Who Profits – The Israeli Occupation Industry – Who Profits Research Center. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://www.whoprofits.org/sections/view/3?who-profits-research-center.
    2. Monitor, NGO. “Who Profits – Ngomonitor.” ngomonitor – Making NGOs Accountable, July 22, 2024. https://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/who_profits/.
    3. Who profits: Foundation for the UN BDS blacklist. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://www.ngo-monitor.org/nm/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Who-profits_Web_FINAL.pdf.
    4. Monitor, NGO. “Coalition of Women for Peace – Ngomonitor.” ngomonitor – Making NGOs Accountable, April 4, 2021. https://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/coalition_of_women_for_peace/.
    5. Entities. “Find a Company.” Who Profits – The Israeli Occupation Industry – Who Profits Research Center. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://www.whoprofits.org/sections/view/3?who-profits-research-center.
    6. Monitor, NGO. “Who Profits: Foundation for the UN BDS Blacklist – Ngomonitor.” ngomonitor – Making NGOs Accountable, January 24, 2019. https://www.ngo-monitor.org/reports/who-profits-foundation-for-the-un-bds-blacklist/.
    7. Entities. “Find a Company.” Who Profits – The Israeli Occupation Industry – Company Database. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/all/24.
    8. Entities. “Find a Company.” Who Profits – The Israeli Occupation Industry – Volkswagen Group. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/7374?volkswagen-group.
    9. Entities. “Find a Company.” Who Profits – The Israeli Occupation Industry – IBM. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/7236?7236-2.
    10. “X.Com.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed September 22, 2024. https://x.com/Who_Profits/status/1815755220518891845/photo/2.
    11. Entities. “Find a Company.” Who Profits – The Israeli Occupation Industry – Developments in the Expansion of the JLR Network: The Blue Line. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://www.whoprofits.org/publications/report/171?developments-in-the-expansion-of-the-jlr-network-the-blue-line
    12. Entities. “Find a Company.” Who Profits – The Israeli Occupation Industry – The Companies Supplying Weapons to Israel’s Attack on Gaza. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://www.whoprofits.org/publications/report/170?the-companies-supplying-weapons-to-israel-s-attack-on-gaza
    13. “X.Com.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed September 22, 2024. https://x.com/Who_Profits/status/1678367846248718337/photo/2
    14. Monitor, NGO. “Who Profits – Ngomonitor.” ngomonitor – Making NGOs Accountable, July 22, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/who_profits/.
    15. “Who Profits (R.A.).” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://www.rbf.org/grantees/who-profits-ra.