Oslo’s new subway supplier is linked to Israeli occupation

Both Rødt, the Palestine Committee and Oslo Sporveiers Arbeiderforening (OSA) react strongly to Oslo municipality’s choice of subway supplier. Now the city council is asking for a review.

The news came on Wednesday: Oslo municipality is buying 20 new subway cars from the Basque company Caf – the same company that has delivered Oslo’s new trams.

The company is helping to develop the tram network in Jerusalem. This tram network is partly built in occupied areas and is therefore accused of profiting from Israel’s occupation of Palestine. On their own websites, CAF writes that they are involved in both the construction, operation and maintenance of the tram network. In addition, they will deliver 114 wagon sets.

• The Palestine Committee is critical of Oslo municipality’s agreements with Caf. They have called for a boycott.
• Storebrand recently decided to sell out of Caf due to their involvement in Israel’s settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
• Rødt’s Siavash Mobasheri is very critical of the agreement and believes the city council must reject the contract for the purchase of new subway cars from Caf.

– Very sorry

The new subway contract between Oslo municipality and Caf has a value of NOK 3.2 billion.

Head of the Palestine Committee, Line Khateeb, believes the new purchase is problematic and in direct conflict with the municipality’s own decision, the so-called The Oslo model The Oslo modelThe main purpose of the Oslo model is to prevent and combat workplace crime, social dumping and corruption, as well as safeguard basic human rights and international humanitarian law..

It states that the municipality must not deal with suppliers whose activities can be linked to violations of human rights, workers’ rights or international humanitarian law.

“This also includes that the municipality must not deal with suppliers who directly or indirectly contribute to maintaining illegal occupation”, the decision states.

Trustees in Oslo Sporveiers Arbeiderforening (OSA) also react to the purchase and demand that Oslo municipality put pressure on Caf to withdraw from occupied areas in Palestine.

Ask the city council to take action

Siavash Mobasheri in Rødt believes the timing could not have been worse.

– It is incredible to receive the message about Sporveien’s agreement with Israeli war profiteers on the day of liberation itself, he says.

At the same time, he believes that transport councilor Marit Vea (V) must take action so as not to be complicit in what he refers to as an ongoing genocide.

– The city council must therefore reject the contract for the purchase of new subway cars from CAF.

City Council Vea will ask Sporveien for an explanation of the assessments that have been made. See the city council’s response further down in the article.

– Has been concerned with doing it properly

Group CEO Birte Sjule in Sporveien emphasizes that the tender competition – i.e. the competition to be allowed to sell wagons to Sporveien – began with a so-called prequalification prequalificationA preliminary assessment of potential suppliers’ qualifications. This takes place before they make their offers. in 2022.

– They were qualified. It is the prequalification that is the important point in a competition. Once they are through, there is little we can do. They have not changed their business since 2022, she tells Aftenposten.

– And the changes in the situation in the Middle East have not affected anything?

– It does not affect the procurement regulations.

– Has this been a topic in meetings between Sporveien and the city council?

– Sporveien is responsible for the entire contract and agreement. Nor should the city council debate so many opinions about it. Those assessments are with us.

– What about internally in Sporveien?

– We have been keen to do it properly. Then there are questions like this. The situation in the Middle East has escalated recently, we have noticed that, but we are also bound by laws and regulations.

Removed quote from city council

City councilor Marit Vea (V) was actually supposed to participate in the press conference about the new subway purchase. But the city council did not show up.

Vea has previously problematized that Israel has not been subjected to sanctions due to the country’s massive bombing of the Gaza Strip, where according to Palestinian health authorities, over 34,000 people have now been killed.

“Apparently there is no limit to what the Israeli state can allow itself to the Palestinian people. For far too many years, the authorities have had to operate in a moral blind spot, where illegal settlements, occupation and dehumanization of Palestinians have been tacitly accepted,” she wrote in a debate post in Aftenposten last November.

In the press release Aftenposten was sent beforehand, the city council is quoted as saying the following:

– With these 20 new subway sets, even more people in Oslo will enjoy the subway. The subway is unbeatable when it comes to both travel time and comfort, so this is an investment that makes Oslo both better and greener.

45 minutes before the planned publication at 1 p.m., Sporveien asked Aftenposten to remove the last part of the quote. In other words, “so this is an investment that makes Oslo both better and greener”. And then, a few minutes before 1 p.m., they asked Aftenposten to remove all quotes from the city council.

Will ask for an explanation

Aftenposten has presented the criticism to city councilor Marit Vea and asked why she wanted the quote removed. We have not yet received an answer to that. When asked why Vea withdrew from the press conference, the answer is that there is a lot going on, many things are coming out these days.

In a general statement, Vea says that all procurements carried out by the municipality must be in line with the Oslo model and the municipality’s ethical rules for procurement.

– The municipality, as owner of Sporveien, has clearly communicated our expectations of the company through the general meeting. Oslo municipality must not deal with suppliers who directly or indirectly contribute to maintaining illegal occupation.

– I would now like to ask the chairman to give me a thorough review of the assessments that have been made.