AhlulBayt News Agency: One of the UK’s largest supermarket chains, the Co-operative, has announced it will stop sourcing Israeli products following a sustained Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
The Co-op stated that the decision, effective this month, was made in response to Israeli human rights violations and breaches of international law.
In May, a motion at the Co-op’s annual general meeting calling for an end to trade with Israel received overwhelming support. The board’s decision includes 17 “countries of concern,” among them Israel.
The supermarket will now begin a phased removal of products sourced from these countries.
The BDS campaign, led by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), prompted the Co-op to adopt a sourcing policy aligned with cooperative values, emphasizing human rights, the rule of law, and fair trade.
Under the new policy, the Co-op will avoid sourcing from countries where there is consistent evidence of widespread human rights abuses or violations of international law.
The supermarket believes this approach can help alleviate suffering and make a meaningful impact.
Israel is a major supplier of fruits and vegetables to the UK, with its products widely available in British supermarkets, often as ingredients in processed goods.
Many Israeli agricultural operations are based in settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.
The PSC hailed the Co-op’s move as a “major victory,” following its “Don’t Buy Apartheid” campaign that urged a boycott of Israeli goods across UK retail and hospitality sectors.
PSC director Ben Jamal called the decision a “seismic victory” for the Palestinian solidarity movement, urging other institutions to follow suit and end all forms of support for Israel.
He praised the Co-op for its moral stance, saying it could no longer ignore public calls to reject Israel’s human rights abuses and could not justify continuing business with the regime.
Jamal added that other supermarket chains must now act responsibly and stop selling Israeli goods, which he said amounts to supporting war crimes.
/129
04:13 - 2025/06/26
Your Comment