to ask if anyone has boycotted stores etc

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Have any of you boycotted any shops or particular brands because you don't agree with some of there policies?

I often see on things like fb or twitter people saying this. For example people boycotting tesco due to the bad taste 'mental' patient Halloween costume.

I will be honest and say I've never even thought about boycotting somewhere.

ohmymimi

Of course you can criticize Israel without being anti-semitic. No one here has said you can't. As I said, the most vocal opposition to Israeli policies is from within Israel itself (thankfully a democracy with freedom of speech).

But why is Israel singled out for boycott? Why not Russia, for example?

It's not to say that people who care about the injustices to Palestinians don't care about other issues. But it doesn't explain why on this thread, practically the ONLY country mentioned is Israel. I think it's completely legitimate to then question the reason for it.

I care deeply about both Palestinians and Israelis as I have personal connections to both. There's nothing that I'd want to see more than a fair and just peace solution. Demonizing Israel isn't the way forward.

Anyway, it's goes deeper than just the settlements and the peace issue. The Arab boycott of Israel started long before Israel occupied the West Bank - it's about Israel's very existence.

It is in disputed territory.

So what do you suggest? That the Palestinians and Israelis there should lose their jobs? What good will that do?!

Sodastream could easily relocate to within Israel. There are plenty of areas for development in Israel with high unemployment. They don't because of loyalty to their Palestinian workers.

Sodastream isn't a barrier to peace since they've made it clear that they support the establishment of a Palestinian state and would wish to remain where they are and pay taxes to the new state (which would desperately need the foreign currency).

Sodastream is a great example of how things could work in the future with a Palestinian state.

If the boycott forced them to relocate to within Israel, I think it'd be a tragedy.

Lush because they apparently contributed to the Dale Farm gypsies when they were fighting to stay illegally on land they had no right to.

Any company that sends unsolicited Christmas cards etc through the
post to guilt you into buying them. I sent a load back to the foot and mouth artists charity once saying that I think it demeans the talent of the people they're trying to help to send their work out unrequested and expect people to buy it out of a sense of obligation.

It is in disputed territory.

No, it's in illegally occupied territory under international law. That's a rhetorical sleight of hand.

Soda stream is located where Palestinians can easily access it.

So you boycott a country because they give jobs and equal rights to Arabs, all religions, all sexualities? How bizarre. What about boycotting Syria? Or Nigeria? No, how about Israel...

Need I say more.

No country is perfect. But Israel tries damn hard considering it is surrounded by countries wishing to annihilate it.

I've lived in Israel. Innocent victims live in fear on both sides.

No, like I said upthread I boycott Israeli foodstuffs because there is no way of knowing if they are produced on illegal settlements. If they were labelled, I would happily buy Israeli products.

Need I say more

Yes, please do. What exactly are you accusing me of?

And please, the Palestinian propaganda machine is one of the best there is

Really? So all those pictures and news stories of innocent people being bombed by the Israelis is just propaganda right?! Because ofcourse, the Palestinians are secretly rich being given money by certain powerful people around the world who pay for the propaganda to be dished out appropriately.

Starbucks.

One of the village pubs. The owner is an absolute dick.

Amazing how you can be sucked in. Yes, the Palestinian propaganda is tremendous. Choose to believe it or don't. I won't be able to convince you.,

Did you know that rockets from gaza are fired into Israel every day? That Israeli citizens are killed and critically injured by rocks thrown by Palestinian children? So what is israel to do? They try very hard to target the military and dint use children as part of their campaign.

Go and visit, see for yourself. Then judge.

I boycotted all of the major multiples for a year after they all flounced around claiming that foot & mouth was nothing to do with them. Really?? So the massive movements of animals around the country to be butchered into the regular, perfect sized pork chops for the supermarkets had nothing to do with them?

It was hard to do where I live, and would be impossible now as the chain of local grocers has now gone and spa/co-ops are in it's place.

That Israeli citizens are killed and critically injured by rocks thrown by Palestinian children?

Read that sentence again out loud. Killed and critically injured by Palestinian children?

Right. So killing them all and continuing to occupy land illegally is justified then isn't it? .

Having lived there KareninsGirl, I'm wondering what kind of propaganda you've been exposed to and who chose to show you certain things that were happening there. You have a really biased view for someone who's apparently "seen it with my own eyes". I don't believe everything you're saying, particularly about the Palestinian propaganda.

I'd sadly have to agree with bumcrapulence.

I'm not saying that the Palestinians don't do terrible things and commit human rights abuses themselves because they do but the occupation is wrong and Israel, while admittedly not trying to kill civilians, hasn't tried hard enough not to do so - and the settlements are clearly wrong as you just can't have settlements of one country in the middle of another. It's not fair and it's not right and the occupation really is the cause of so much of the conflict (although it's not as if the Arabs hadn't tried to destroy Israel before the occupation of the WB and Gaza - or that Jordan and Egypt hadn't occupied them before Israel).

Also, as Coruskate pointed out, Israel is a democratic country with a clear rule of law and therefore a responsibility to conduct hostilities in accordance with international conventions.

She's also right though that it is a difficult and complex situation. That's why the boycott of Israel is just a simplistic response. And the demonisation of Israel is, in my opinion, fuelled by more than just concern over the Palestinians.

I think because I'm probably more of a 'do-gooder lefty' by nature that I feel almost a betrayal by the left with their inflated response to Israel to the exclusion of others, personified by people like Ken Livingstone. When I lived in London, I couldn't vote for him because of this issue and found myself forced to vote for Boris Johnson even though my natural leanings would be to Labour.

And when I see members of the British left-wing groups marching with Hamas and Hizbollah, groups who are so contrary to everything they supposedly stand for but the main thing is that they're anti-Israel, the betrayal is even deeper.

This C4 documentary on how the anti-Israel movement and anti-semitism have joined forces in the UK is quite enlightening

Stuff from Israel when it's not too inconvenient to do so - if dying and lying next to a bottle of Israeli medicine, I'd reconsider.

Ditto Microsoft - can't help the essentials, but buy alternatives or yarr as much as I can, or buy 2nd hand.

Don't fly BA after a couple of crap flights, and their fawning over the Beckhams after losing their luggage. They were spectacularly unhelpful when they lost mine.

I love amazon - only ever had fantastic service and great prices and convenience from them, and if I could do it without being prosecuted, I'd pay no tax myself. Meanwhile Nestle make every single one of my favourite chocolate bars and sweets.

I'm very interested to know why Israel and not Russia, for example?

None of the Israel boycotters has actually answered this one (other than one response about not understanding other global issues).

I did answer that, actually.

SlimJiminy I think it does count and agree that even if I didn't boycott it, I wouldn't buy it regardless as it is indeed, utter shite. However, even if it has vouchers, promotions or free gifts that you may think, hmmm I will have that offer and chuck away the newspaper, I would sooner miss out.

Yes, a couple of people mentioned Israeli foodstuffs as they may be from settlements which is fair enough.

But it's still not clear to me why produce from Israeli settlements is any worse than things from Russia which may equally have been produced in Chechnya, Abkhazia or South Ossetia.

Or products from Gulf countries which could have been produced by the exploitation of the equivalent of slave labour.

And let's not start on China and its occupation of Tibet...(that'd be REALLY inconvenient!!!)

And posters here have been speaking of a blanket ban on Israeli products (without realising that they buy them all the time of course because that'd be too inconvenient to actually find out).

I lived on a Kibbutz 27 years ago.
I found the Israelis to be a warm, friendly people who really looked after us volunteers. All the volunteers were given the additional day of Easter Sunday off, as it was our holy day.
Also, I found many people and papers like the JP quite anti the settlements. They have their own version of Private Eye: The Jerusalem Pest!
I do remember that the Palestinians had to have different coloured car registration plates, (can't remember if they were blue or yellow). But it was explained to me by a Kibbutznik who thought it was very wrong.
I loved my time in Israel & met lovely people both Israeli & Palestinian. Sometimes it's too easy to see things as black & white.

Like I said, I think it is partly down to the very effective Palestinian solidarity campaign. I don't think South Ossetians or Chechnyans or even, to a lesser extent, Tibetans, have been as effective in publicising their grievances.

Oh god the ubiquitous Chinese products all transported in those enormous disgusting tankers which use the cheapest most polluting fuel that it is possible to get hold of. That's without their non existent human rights record (Tibet) and pollution of their countryside with their mines.

There's a shop in Totnes that is called NOT FROM CHINA .

We have tried to boycott the products but it's an impossible task.

I don't boycott anything. I think boycotting Israeli produce would be silly as the people most affected would be those hired to work on the farms, including many Palestinians.

our local costa (but not costa in general). Woman told me I was arrogant for asking for milk with my earl grey (in an oooh did you forget something way) as 'everyone knew earl grey was drunk black'. Er, no, it can be drunk in a number of ways, as can normal tea!