Consumer Boycotts

[Desertrose2023]

I posted the BDS list in the supporting Palestinian businesses thread and recent discussion on another thread re the backlash against Zara got me wondering how many others are participating in consumer boycotts linked to the conflict in Gaza (and the occupation in Palestine) or for different reasons.

there are a number of brands I’m boycotting usually for a mix of reasons, political, environmental and social. Interested to hear views from others.

Disclaimer: to avoid any misinterpretation or twisting of my words - I do not support any acts of violence or vandalism or boycotting based on religion/ethnicity.

all the ones on the BDS committee list

https://bdsmovement.net/

in addition to a few others (sample below)

Starbucks: overpriced shit coffee and they recently sued their union for tweeting in support/solidarity with Palestine.

Zara: I stopped buying stuff following the controversy of their head womenswear designer making disgusting anti-Palestinian comments. The reports of slave labour (Uyghurs and in Brazil) plus the recent tone deaf ad campaign was the final straw. Plus trying to be more conscious re reducing how much ‘fast fashion’ I buy anyway.

Nestle: a history of unethical corporate practices plus including ownership of an Israeli food company with production in OPT.

Sorry honey but as far as those that run the BDS campaigns think you are wrong and Giraffe is right

Here are just a few examples of their statements. You can find a shed load more on if you Google or look on twitter

This is why I say not to avoid taking some of these link/campaigns etc at face value. Like I have said people need to do their own research.

@Trulywonderful thanks for the list. I know who to boycott now.

@Trulywonderful here are a few quotes from the BDS website itself:

https://bdsmovement.net/news/15-quotes-mark-15-years-bds

It has always been the BDS campaigns and their supporters that seem to be confused about the reality of life in the middle east. Plus who is in charge of what in Gaza, west bank and Israel. Not to mention the difference between Arab Israeli citizens who have equal rights to Jews compared to areas Israeli does not decide the rights of citizens because they are not in charge of them.

Look at the myth that the BDS has been peddling for years in order to get more support. Don't get me wrong Israel policies suck regarding Gazans a lot of the time and the west bank situation is appauling but the BDS have focused for years on dismantling Israel and peddling a line that doesn't stand up very well.

Just not Pringles, ok

A website to sell the campaign to others that don't know about their publicly available statements and tweet? I think you kind of miss the point on this. The point is don't just believe what a social media post or Website is telling you. Research these people and what statements about their campaign they have made

If you don't want to do that can I sell you a timeshare or do you want to buy into my pyramid scheme????

'International law and the right of return? There won't be any Zionist state like the one we speak about (in modern day Israel) There will be two states (one democratic for all its citizens here (Palestine) and one democratic for all its citizens there (Israel) The Palestinian minority will become a Palestinian majority of what is today called Israel'

Barghouti May 21st in interview with Gazan Voice Podcast.

"Arab Israeli citizens who have equal rights to Jews"

This database of laws says it's not true that they have equal rights:

https://www.adalah.org/en/content/view/7771

Adalah’s Discriminatory Laws Database (DLD) is an online resource comprising a list of over 65 Israeli laws that discriminate directly or indirectly against Palestinian citizens in Israel and/or Palestinian residents of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) on the basis of their national belonging. The discrimination in these laws is either explicit – “discrimination on its face” – or, more often, the laws are worded in a seemingly neutral manner, but have or will likely have a disparate impact on Palestinians in their implementation.

How short is your memory? This “witness” lot that Truly just posted a list from were linked to and discussed on the first page of this thread. They want Israel gone, to be replaced by a country called Palestine, controlled by Palestinians. It’s in their FAQs.

Why are you so desperate to deny this? Why are you so keen to smear what they openly say in their FAQ as ‘propaganda’?

Not bothered about Pringles, don't like them.

Most laws are very equal and getting more so each year. Unlike the case for Jewish people in the Palestinian run areas. Not to mention the situation in the rest of the middle east. I think you are mistaking the issues of intergation that most countries have and nit picking to raise a point that makes Israel sound alone in problems of intergation and laws. BDS don't aim to change small internal laws and policies anyway. If they were bothered about internal welfare of Israeli citizens they would not campaign to boycott Israeli businesses with possible losses in employment. They want the right of return to flood Israeli with Palestinians and cause the long term dismantling of the state. That is something they are pretty open about and I thought everyone knew.

Fair enough

This is a good article describing the reality of life as an Arab citizen of Israel:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/what-the-war-means-for-palestinians-inside-israel

And amnesty international describing Israel as an apartheid state:

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/02/israels-apartheid-against-palestinians-a-cruel-system-of-domination-and-a-crime-against-humanity/

I was referring to your particular point that said "Arab Israeli citizens who have equal rights to Jews". Which clearly isn't the case from that laws database.

Your argument presents the idea that Arab Israelis are treated equally and fairly. Clearly untrue and many of those laws go back decades.

Your comparison of the laws of Hamas vs Israel is a red herring with regards to what I was referring to.

My apologies @noblegiraffe I didn't understand your comment in context as you didn't quote what it was referring to. My error.

Not at all a red herring because it shows that Arab Israelis have more right under Israel law than Palestinian have under Hamas and the PLO. The other post also showed they have more rights in Israel as Arabs than they would have in most other Arab states. A lot of rights are equal too. Yes it isn't perfect as far as intergation goes but most the Arabs I know would definitely rather live under Israeli rule than the other options. Slowly the laws or policies that still are not totally equal similar to in the west or elsewhere are get changed but just like in elsewhere it takes time. Israel is not the beacon of democracy some will try to tell you it is, however for a middle eastern state it does more than most when it comes to the rights of its citizens.

Are you aware that the boycott website that you linked to is from an organisation that wants Israel to cease to exist as a country? You can read about it in their FAQs.

@Trulywonderful You are veering into whataboutery - your original point made the situation out to be something that is equal.

You said exactly this: "Arab Israeli citizens have equal rights to Jews", will you just admit that was not true? Without needing to go into all the other whataboutery points about Hamas, other arab states etc?

Can you admit that laws that have discriminated against them, in some cases laws made and held in place since the middle of the 20th century

"it takes time" to get to equality - what 70+ years? some of the discriminatory laws are new and recent as well so they are clearly still being made
Some of the discriminatory laws are new - from 2022, 2023 etc.

It is not equal and it is not ok.

Yes trying to support BDS as much as is possible, and well before 07 oct. I won’t be buying from Zara ever again. I check the country of origin on fruit and veg. The annoying ones are the clementines/tangerines which are sold as mixed countries of origin. They go back on the shelf. The Coop do not stock anything from Israel, so they get most of my custom. Won’t use Starbucks. I try to buy locally as much as possible anyway.

If you look at the human rights as per the UN conversation of human rights it is true. Therefore there basic human rights are equal, which is mote than can be said for there surrounding states and the Palestinian run areas. You are talking about all the laws and policies. I have said yes more work needs to be done there but it has got better and will continue to from what I see. I have been very honest with you and not denied anything or whataboutism but answered your posts and supplied examples of the difference between human rights in Palestinian run area, the middle eastern states and Israel. I really think you need to take a good look at the difference and stop thinking of Israel as a western country but see it for what it is both good and bad. You just seem to want to paint a picture that isn't balanced.

I use the website as a means to inform where I shop. They also list the reasons why a particular brand is on the boycott list. As to their ideologies I haven't looked into. I have my own reasons to boycott which are that the actions of Israel now and in the past are against my personal values and principles.

Can you explain why you are personally boycotting Starbucks and how it will impact Israel? It seems a bit unclear.

Yes it does take time and they have improved over the years

What the UK hasn't made laws or had policies made under different governments that are anti immigration or we didn't have the whole Windrush situation.

Israel is like everywhere else two steps forward and one step back because politicians are vote seeking and not long term planners in general. This conflict will no doubt cause some other dodgy policies or laws. That is to be expected but hopefully things will continue in the right direction at some point.

Wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole either. It’s not ok to buy their shit.

Unfortunately the IDF have put most of their productions out of business by bombing the shit out of them. Killing their agriculture, chopping 100 year old olive trees down.