UK parliamentary committee seeks answers over US firm BCG’s role in Gaza

Boston Consulting Group questioned implicit engagement successful establishing the arguable Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

A United Kingdom parliamentary committee is demanding that a US consulting elephantine explicate its activities successful Gaza, including its relation successful establishing a arguable assistance radical nether scrutiny implicit the killings of hundreds of Palestinians.

Labour Party MP Liam Byrne, who chairs the House of Commons Business and Trade Select Committee, asked Boston Consulting Group (BCG) successful a missive connected Wednesday for “clarification and information” astir its enactment successful the besieged enclave, adding that the query was portion of the committee’s “scrutiny of the UK’s commercial, governmental and humanitarian links to the conflict”.

Byrne’s missive to BCG CEO Christoph Schweizer comes aft The Financial Times reported connected Friday that the steadfast had drawn up an estimation of the costs of relocating Palestinians from Gaza and signed a multimillion-dollar declaration to assistance make the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

Gaza wellness authorities accidental that much than 700 Palestinians person been killed trying to entree assistance astatine organisation centres tally by the GHF, which has been disavowed by the United Nations and galore assistance organisations.

The UK paper besides reported connected Monday that the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), tally by the erstwhile British premier minister, participated successful connection groups and calls for a post-war improvement program for Gaza that relied connected BCG modelling.

In his letter, Byrne asked for a “clear and broad response” to a database of questions, including a “detailed timeline” of erstwhile BCG began enactment connected establishing the GHF.

Byrne besides demanded accusation from BCG astir different companies and institutions, arsenic good arsenic backing sources, linked to the instauration of the group.

The GHF, which began operating successful the bombarded Palestinian enclave successful precocious May, has drawn wide disapproval amid numerous reports that its US information contractors and Israeli forces person opened occurrence connected assistance seekers.

While noting that BCG had ended its engagement with the GHF, and that immoderate of the associated enactment had been “unauthorised”, Byrne said the steadfast should supply circumstantial details connected what activities were not authorised, “when and how” the enactment was undertaken, and what actions were made to close those activities.

Byrne besides called for much accusation astir BCG’s enactment connected proposals to relocate the colonisation of Gaza, which person been condemned by Palestinians successful the enclave, rights groups and the UN.

“Who commissioned oregon requested this work? Which individuals oregon entities . . . did BCG prosecute with successful this context? Is immoderate specified enactment ongoing oregon progressive successful immoderate form? Were immoderate UK-based organisations – including companies, NGOs, academics oregon think-tanks – involved?” Byrne said successful the letter.

Byrne directed BCG to respond by July 22, “given the seriousness of these issues and the precocious level of nationalist interest”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has besides floated the thought of relocating Palestinians during his meetings this week with US President Donald Trump astatine the White House.

In a connection issued earlier this week, BCG said that “recent media reporting has misrepresented” the firm’s imaginable relation successful the post-war reconstruction of Gaza.

The steadfast said that 2 of its partners “failed to disclose the afloat quality of the work” they carried retired without outgo successful helping to found the GHF.

“These individuals past carried retired consequent unauthorised work. Their actions reflected a superior nonaccomplishment of judgement and adherence to our standards,” the institution said, adding that the 2 partners had been fired.