Pro-Israel activist group Irish4Israel has successfully countered an attempted boycott of an Israeli product, turning it into a successful “BUYcott.”
Dates produced in the Jordan Valley were a recent target of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel in Ireland. As featured Wednesday on Irish4Israel’s Facebook page and initially reported on Ynet, an Israeli news website, boxes of dates at a Tesco supermarket chain store in Dublin had been labeled: “Organic dates – produce of West Bank” and “Israeli Settlement Produce.” Yellow stickers, added by BDS promoters calling for a boycott of the product, were reminiscent of the yellow Stars of David that had been pasted on windows of Jewish-owned businesses in Nazi Germany.
Tesco, a giant among British supermarket chains, was established in 1919 by Jack Cohen, the son of Jewish immigrants from Poland; he began by selling surplus groceries from an east London stall. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren live in Israel.
“The BDS campaign from the Irish Friends of Palestine Facebook page stated that Tesco should be boycotted,” pointing out that it was once owned by a Jew, an Irish4Israel spokesperson told United with Israel. “We asked people to report that comment and it seems to have been deleted for now.”
Irish4Israel reacted quickly to the anti-Israel vandalism by making sure that the dates were completely sold out at Tesco; afterwards, they bought many more at SuperValu and Marks and Spencer’s.
“We have been urging our members to buy dates and sharing various date recipes all week on the page,” the spokesperson said. “As donations allow, we will buy more dates and other Israeli produce.
“We wish to be proactive. We refuse to sit idly by, while racist BDS activists target Israel,” he stated, adding that anti-Israel activity is often directed at products from within the Green Line as well.
“Over the weekend, we hope Tesco will have restocked, and we intend to buy more dates and other Israeli fruit, such as plums,” the Irish4Israel FB post said. “We hope to donate some of this food to a homeless charity.”
Irish4Israel aims to “challenge Irish attitudes about Israel and “promote a new understanding of the Middle East’s only democracy.” According to the group, boycott attempts to hurt Israel are becoming increasingly common, and it “reflects badly on Ireland and us Irish Zionists who strive so hard to improve the relationship between Israel and Ireland.”
“When racist boycott Israel activists put yellow stickers on Israeli produce, Irish4Israel is proud to respond with a BUYcott. Keep buying Israeli produce,” Irish4Israel urged.
By: United with Israel Staff
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