Ethical Shopping and BDS

Whilst grassroots work in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement continues to make progress internationally, the Palestinian Authority continues to send out mixed or contradictory messages within Palestine regarding its position on boycott.

The PA’s recent call for a boycott of 6 Israeli companies has caused frustration amongst those seeking widespread boycotts whilst to others, including some shopkeepers it has led simply to confusion and the question of why one Israeli company is any different to another.

Previously, PA president Mahmoud Abbas has been reported in the media as saying that he does not support the full boycott of Israel.

Several years ago the PA called for a ‘settlement boycott’, a move that was rejected by many who saw it as restraining the debate to one about West Bank ‘settlements’ whilst clearly avoiding the wider context of colonisation, apartheid and military occupation against the Palestinian people collectively including those within the so-called oPt, Palestinian citizens of Israel and those in the diaspora who are denied their rights of return.

In February, the PA announced a boycott of 6 Israeli companies – Tnuva, Strauss, Osem, Elite, Prigat and Jafora – as a response to Israel’s withholding of PA tax revenues. Since the announcement of this boycott, factionally-affiliated youth groups have on at least 2 occasions destroyed products of these companies when found in lorries being brought into cities within the West Bank. Although again, this selective boycott as a response to tax withholding rather than core issues falls well short of the demands of the Palestinian-led grassroots BDS movement.

A noticeable growth of events promoting Palestinian products is also being seen on the ground, often in some way promoted as linked to the BDS movement. Whilst a wider boycott of Israel would no doubt be of the benefit to Palestinian companies, the boycott of Israeli products and ‘buying Palestinian’ are not necessarily mutually interchangeable concepts. Supporting the BDS call is a strategic act of resistance against Israel’s settler colonial machine with clear political demands, whereas supporting local companies is a much needed economic tool which aims to support local people and Palestinian businesses although does not by definition seek to challenge the over-riding political realities. Both concepts should be supported, but must also not be confused.

The al-Bireh Municipality is currently holding a ‘Spring Shopping Festival’ which includes amongst its stated aims ‘the promotion of Palestinian companies and products… and the boycott of Israel’. The many Palestinian companies involved in the festival include those producing foodstuffs, handicrafts, clothing and other items. The festival certainly highlights developments in Palestinian trade and production and includes some fantastic locally produced products which should be supported and celebrated, yet whether such events can really be considered to be rooted as working towards a ‘boycott of Israel’ seems much less obvious without a deeper contextualisation.