Once again the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) is targeting Israeli goods in Waitrose and now Tesco. Their campaign will take place during the week beginning 9th January, and we need your help to limit the effect of the calls for a boycott. The PSC are likely to send emails and letters to Waitrose and Tesco, hold demonstrations outside local stores, and inundate their Head Offices with phone calls.

It seems clear that these campaigns will be ongoing and supporters of Israel need to respond.

To join the BUYcott facebook group, Click here.

PSC are calling for a boycott of all Israeli goods. Since our last BUYcott campaign in November, the Government has published voluntary guidelines for retailers suggesting that they could choose to specify whether West Bank produce is sourced from Israeli or Palestinian farmers. In fact, the Palestinian and Israeli economies are so closely linked that this kind of crude demarcation tells shoppers little about who would be affected by changes in consumer choices.

On the contrary, supporting the economies of Israel and the Palestinians, by buying Israeli and West Bank labelled produce, sends out a positive message about the effects of engagements and reconciliation.

Boycotts are not an effective way of moving forward or achieving peace. They indiscriminately target Jews and Arabs in Israel and also the Palestinian economy.

What can you do?

We are calling for a of Israeli goods in these shops. Starting from Saturday night on 9th January, we call on all friends of Israel to:

Go to Waitrose or Tesco that week and buy goods from Israel

• Look out especially for fresh fruit and vegetables and for Israeli wine. If you need help finding them, ask the supermarket staff and explain why you are buying Israeli goods.

Write to your local store manager

• Thank them for stocking Israeli goods and explain that boycotts have no positive outcomes and impact adversely on all of the inhabitants of the region. You might suggest additional products for them to stock.

Write a letter or email to the Head Offices of these supermarkets (details below)

• Explain that boycotting Israeli goods will do NOTHING to further the peace process and will damage the livelihoods of local farmers and workers.

WAITROSE

customer_service@waitrose.co.uk

TESCO

customer.services@tesco.co.uk

For a week from the 7th of November, the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) is targeting Waitrose and Morrisons as part of their supermarket boycott campaign. They are asking their supporters to send emails and letters to Waitrose and Morrisons, to hold demonstrations outside local stores, and they plan to inundate their Head Offices with phone calls.

The PSC’s goal is for these supermarkets to boycott Israeli goods. They are focusing on goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Golan Heights, but are also campaigning for a total boycott of Israel.

Boycotts are not an effective way of moving forward or achieving peace. They target all Israelis (Jews and Arabs), but impact on the Palestinian economy as well as Israel’s, because the two markets and societies are so deeply entwined.

In response to this, we are calling for a BUYcott of Israeli goods in these shops. Starting from Saturday night on the 7th of November, we call on all friends of Israel to:

• Go to Waitrose or Morrisons that week and buy goods from Israel

Look out especially for fresh fruit and vegetables and for Israeli wine. If you need help finding them, ask the supermarket staff and explain why you are buying Israeli goods.

• Write to your local store manager

Thank them for stocking Israeli goods and explain that boycotts have no positive outcomes and impact adversely on all of the inhabitants of the region. You might suggest additional products for them to stock.

• Write a letter or email to the Head Offices of these supermarkets

Explain that boycotting Israeli goods will do nothing to further the peace process and will damage the livelihoods of local farmers and workers.

MORRISONS

WAITROSE

customer_service@waitrose.co.uk

We are running this campaign with the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Download a PDF of the text above that can be put up on a bulletin-board.