One way to show your objection to the Israeli occupation of Palestine is to Boycott Israeli goods.

York PSC have set up a working party to develop a campaign to persuade local people to boycott Israeli goods and to contribute to a mass consumer action along the lines of the boycott of South African produce during the Anti-Apartheid Campaign.

At our first meeting recently we decided begin with Sainsbury's. They regularly stock a number of products from Israel (see list below).  As far as we can tell from the BIG website, they are not listed as having major financial dealings with Israel, but have recently negotiated a deal with the Elite Confectionary Group to manufacture chocolate products in its Nazareth plant. This is in a still growing housing complex built on land stolen from the Palestinians. It consists mainly of recent immigrants (largely from Russia) attracted by the substantial financial incentives that are offered purely on a racial basis. It now surrounds the biblical town sacred to Christians, depriving it of many essentials necessary for decent living standards such as adequate supplies of water.

For a report on our recent visits to Sainsbury's and Tesco visit the Branch News section of this site.

Recently the House of Commons International Development Select Committee produced a report on their recent visit to the Occupied Territories and delivered the most damming verdict on Israel's behaviour in the Palestine Occupied Territories to date from a British parliamentary group. They even called for the suspension of its billion pound European Trade agreement. The report from the committee (see http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmintdev/230/23002.htm), which conducted a 6 month enquiry last year, blames Israel's incursions, curfews, checkpoints and other restrictions, including its security wall along the West Bank, for choking the Palestinian economy. This seems like a good time to concentrate minds on all aspects of our trade with Israel.

WHAT YOU CAN DO.

1.Carry out your own survey when you visit the store and let us know what you find. Regular updates on goods for sale from Israel and the Occupied Territories will be invaluable in this campaign.

2. Email the following stores to complain about their policy on stocking Israeli goods:

Asda - fill in the 'Contact us' form by clicking here

Marks & Spencer - fill in the 'Contact us' form at http://www2.marksandspencer.com/feedback/help/index.asp?n=c

Morrisons:

Customer Service Department
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc
J41 Industrial Estate
Carr Gate
Wakefield
WF2 0XF

Or telephone: 01924 870000 and ask for the Customer Service Department.

Sainsbury - fill in the feedback form at http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/contactus/

Tesco - fill in the 'Talk to us' feedback form in their corporate responsiblity page at http://www.tesco.com/everylittlehelps/

3. Join our working party and help promote the campaign. Any time spent, however limited, will be most welcome and crucial to the campaign

Email: boycott@yorkpsc.org.uk

LIST OF GOODS EITHER DEFINATELY OR POTENTIALLY FROM ISRAEL

Avocados, dates, salad, vegetables, sweet peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, grapes and grapefruit.
All Carmel foodstuffs including wine
Some tinned fruit
Flowers
Organic herbs
Jaffa oranges and grapefruit
Santina oranges
Halva snacks (including Elite)
Telma soups
Olivia pesto
Gilboa olives
Spring fruit juice

Also,

Danone products (trades in Israel under Strauss Dairy)
Estee Lauder  (chairman is a Zionist)
Geest (imports Israeli flowers and plants)
Kraft group (major investor in Israel)
Johnson and Johnson (ditto)
Kimberley Clarke (ditto)

As information comes in we will post details as to products and suppliers to avoid in York.

Click here to download our Boycott leaflet

For detailed information on Israeli products visit www.bigcampaign.org