JLens and ADL Condemn UN Report Urging Divestment from Israel

A recent UN report issued by Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has drawn condemnation from JLens and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for its extreme recommendations urging companies to sever ties with Israel, halt operations, and pay reparations. The report's authors claim that these actions are necessary to combat what they deem "international crimes" and "genocide" in the occupied Palestinian territories. However, JLens and ADL assert that this is a politicized attack on the Jewish state and its businesses, rather than a genuine human rights assessment.

Key Takeaways:

• The UN report, titled "From economy of occupation to economy of genocide," urges companies to divest from Israel, cease operations, and pay reparations, citing alleged "international crimes" and "genocide" in the occupied Palestinian territories.
• JLens and ADL strongly condemn the report, labeling it a "blatant effort to economically isolate Israel" and "a politicized attack on the Jewish state and its businesses."
• The report names 13 U.S.-listed public companies, all of which are currently held in the TOV ETF portfolio, including leaders in defense, technology, and finance that have long-standing ties to Israel's economy, security, and innovation ecosystem.
• Five of these companies, including HP Inc., Microsoft, BlackRock, Lockheed Martin, and IBM, have earned JLens' highest "metzuyan" (excellent) designation and are overweighted in the ETF.
• JLens has built a strong portfolio of companies that support Israel, with the TOV ETF growing to over $160 million in assets since its launch on the New York Stock Exchange in February 2025.
• JLens and ADL urge asset managers, trustees, university boards, and institutional investors to reject the UN report and stand with companies supporting Israel.

Statistics:

• The TOV ETF has grown to over $160 million in assets since its launch in February 2025.
• The ETF tracks the 500 largest U.S. public companies and uses a proprietary screening and scoring process to assess alignment with Jewish values.
• Five of the 13 named companies have earned JLens' highest "metzuyan" (excellent) designation.
• JLens has a strong track record of running campaigns that call on shareholders to reject anti-Israel shareholder proposals at top companies, including Alphabet, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and Intel.
• A prior analysis by JLens forecast that the 100 largest U.S. university endowments would forgo $33 billion in investment gains over 10 years if they adopted BDS-aligned investment strategies.

Sources:

• JLens and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
• "From economy of occupation to economy of genocide" UN report
• TOV ETF portfolio
• JLens' proprietary screening and scoring process
• JLens' shareholder advocacy campaigns
• Prior analysis by JLens on BDS-aligned investment strategies