The British heavy machinery firm JCB’s sale of equipment used in the destruction of Palestinian villages in the Israeli-occupied West Bank is being examined by a UK government body to determine whether its due diligence process complies with human rights guidelines set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. This case is likely to test the degrees to which multinationals are responsible if their export goods are sold by local distributors in ways that potentially infringe human rights. The claim was launched by “Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights” last December after JCB refused to communicate with the lobby group over claims that its tractors were being used to tear up Palestinian villages. To check the news, click here