Boycott Israel campaign heats up

In the week before Christmas, supporters of justice for Palestinians stepped up actions against Sydney retailers selling Israeli products from the illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Members of the Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine picketed the Dezire beauty shop in Marrickville Metro on a busy Saturday morning to draw attention to the shop’s sales of Ahava beauty products.

Activists held placards that read “Dead Sea mud can’t cover up violations of international law.”

Ahava Dead Sea products are from the illegal Israeli settlement of Mitzpe Shalem in the occupied West Bank. While the Dead Sea is a popular destination for Israelis, Palestinians are blocked by military checkpoints dotted throughout the West Bank from accessing the Dead Sea.

Palestinian community activist Rihab Charida said it was no longer business as usual for Australian businesses that support Israeli apartheid.

“As long as human rights abuses are taking place, we are not going to allow companies to profit from the suffering of others. It’s about standing up for the rights of people,” Ms Charida told bystanders.

The Dezire store owner said she would continue to sell Ahava products, despite being aware that her choice means supporting illegal settlements in occupied Palestine.

“My morals say I’ve done nothing wrong,” she told the City Hub, refusing to give her name. “The product is good, I’m not going to stop selling it. This Israel and Palestine thing has been going on for hundreds of years,” she added, revealing a lack of awareness that the Jewish state has only existed since 1948.

Around the corner the Metro Grocer was targeted for sales of Jaffa brand Pomelos which also come from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Store owner Louie Sellaro told the activists that he would stop selling the settlement products. A week later, the Pomelos were still on his shelves, misleadingly labelled as “Product of the Middle East.”

Coles Supermarkets are also guilty of false labelling of Israeli products. At Coles Broadway and Leichhardt, Israeli Jaffa oranges were labelled “Product of Australia”.