![A Co-op store is seen on May 19, 2025 in London, England. Members of the Co-Op supermarket chain in the UK have voted during the organization's AGM in favor of an advisory motion to remove Israeli goods from store shelves. [Peter Nicholls/Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GettyImages-2215354094.jpg?fit=920%2C614&ssl=1)
The Co-operative Group, one of Britain’s largest grocery retailers, has announced it will no longer source products or ingredients from Israel, citing concerns over grave human rights violations and breaches of international law.
Last month 73 per cent of Co-op members voted in favour of a motion urging the group to end trade with Israel over its genocide in Gaza.
The decision will see dozens of products phased out of Co-op’s 2,300 stores across the UK. It follows years of sustained pressure from the Co-op’s membership base, which has repeatedly demanded that the retailer align its operations with its publicly stated ethical commitments.
The policy change was informed by independent assessments, including those of the United Nations, identifying Israel as responsible for widespread and systematic violations of human rights.
The company also confirmed that the boycott would apply to both whole products and ingredients used in own-brand items, effectively closing the door to Israeli supply chains across its operations.
Debbie White, chair of the Co-op Group board, framed the move as a principled stance. “We are committed, where we can, to removing products and ingredients from our shelves which are sourced from those countries where the international consensus demonstrates there is not alignment with what happens in those countries and our co-operative values and principles.”
The Co-op’s action comes amid an intensifying global campaign to end complicity in Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people. More than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, the majority of them women and children, in a military campaign that numerous legal experts and human rights bodies describe as genocidal. The International Court of Justice is currently investigating Israel for genocide.
In a related development, global shipping giant Maersk has also confirmed that it will no longer handle cargo to and from illegal Israeli settlements, citing obligations under international law.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign welcomed the Co-op’s announcement as a major milestone in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. “This is a clear message to Israel and its allies: there is a growing cost for impunity,” a spokesperson said.
The Co-op has a long history of ethical trading and was among the first UK retailers to take action against apartheid South Africa. Campaigners hope its latest move will encourage other businesses to follow suit and bring greater corporate accountability to bear on the Israeli occupation.