Ahead of the belated arrival of this summer’s new Irish potato season, a number of BDS activists have drawn attention to the fact that much of the produce currently on sale at Irish supermarkets have their origins in Israel.
At a time when famine is rife in Gaza as a result of the brutal war being waged on it by its neighbours, the Irish Palestine Support Campaign (IPSC) is encouraging consumers here not to purchase produce originating in Israel.
In an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people, they are also asking people to complain to the management of shops stocking these goods about their continued presence on Irish shelves.
In a statement on the IPSC website campaign organisers said, “As we approach the 40th anniversary of the anti-apartheid strike at Dunnes Stores, an action that resounded all the way to Nelson Mandela’s cell on Robben Island in Apartheid South Africa; we believe that almost forty years on, it remains immoral to stock products that help to fund apartheid.”
The organisation’s call to action is simple and direct:
“We ask you to ask retailers to please stand on the right side of history, to stand against apartheid, and to cease stocking Israeli goods until Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian lands, stops committing war crimes, grants equal rights to all its citizens and complies fully with its obligations under international law.”
Further information on the campaign, including a sample letter for those wishing to write to stockists of Israeli goods in Ireland, can be found at ipsc.ie
Words: Martina Murray
