27-06-2025
French banking giant BNP Paribas sued over failure to report links to Israel
A legal group announced on Friday that it has taken France's banking giant BNP Paribas to court for "failure to fulfil its duty of vigilance," accusing the banking group of failing to define activities supporting Israel, particularly in the context of its military offensive in Gaza.
The law requires large French companies to publish a vigilance plan to prevent, among other things, environmental risks and human rights violations related to their activities.
"However, far from respecting these obligations, BNP Paribas, in its 2024 vigilance plan, did not deign to define the very existence of its activities in support of the State of Israel or companies arming the State of Israel," the association Jurists for Respect for International Law (Jurdi) said in a press release.
"Indeed, the guarantee provided by BNP Paribas for the successful completion of an $8bn bond subscription for the benefit of the Israeli government is not included. Nor is its support for Elbit Systems, the main arms supplier to the State of Israel," it clarified.
The association, which brings together lawyers and magistrates, claims to have formally notified BNP Paribas in December 2024 to amend its vigilance plan, and said the banking group refused to do so in March.
