JTA — When investors need help navigating business decisions in conflict zones they turn to specialized firms that are supposed to help them keep clear of human rights abuses. But one of the biggest firms offering advice on environmental, social, and governance issues recently announced that when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it will no longer have anything to say.

The conflict is just too complicated to weigh in on, Morningstar announced last month, following years of pressure by pro-Israel groups who charged that the ESG (environmental, social, and governance) field effectively fuels Israel boycotts.

The company said it devised a new policy that ends coverage of human rights issues connected to “disputes concerning contiguous territories” after an investigation of alleged anti-Israel bias in the company’s research and analysis.

“This means we won’t cover those areas because human rights issues, when related to contiguous territorial disputes, are less likely to be objective, reliable, or consistent, and subject to complex geopolitical factors, divergent views and conflicting partisan media reports,” Morningstar said in a statement posted to its website.

The policy change caps off a series of reforms implemented by Morningstar in response to scrutiny by a coalition of pro-Israel groups, including the Jewish Federations........

© The Times of Israel