Boycott of Israeli products spreads in West Bank

Fed up with war and occupation, a major Palestinian supermarket chain today took a major political stance and joined in the movement to boycott Israeli products in response to Israel's most recent escalation in Gaza which has claimed more than 1,800 lives.

Bravo Supermarkets, the largest grocery chain in Palestine, announced a "comprehensive plan for a boycott of Israeli goods" effective immediately, and began removing the products from shelves in its stores in Ramallah. 

"We're going to boycott them. We're not going to sell them anymore," said Yousef Sider, Marketing Manager for Bravo Supermarkets. "Israel occupies our land, our air, and also occupies our stomachs, and we're going to free ourselves from this occupation," Sider said at the company's headquarters in Ramallah.

The boycott officially began on Tuesday as Israeli items were dumped off the shelf, and supermarket staff. A post on Bravo's official Facebook Page named six Israeli suppliers that the Palestinian chain aimed to cut commercial ties with, and stated the company's intention to liquidate all its current stock of Israeli goods, and to discontinue carrying them "forever." 

"It was a hard decision to make, and we're going to lose a lot of money, but we have to do it," said Seder. Products made in Israel make up at least 30 per cent of sales in Bravo's more than 200 stores in the West Bank. Bravo intends to return the products to the vendors, "and if they refuse it, we're going to send them to Gaza," Plaza Mall Store Manager Ashraf Mohammed said. "We're going to replace them with locally-made products, or imported products from Egypt, Jordan, Europe, or the USA."

Working with volunteers from the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, Bravo began collecting water, food, and essential supplies at its three supermarkets in Ramallah to be packed and shipped to the Gaza Strip. PMRS volunteers circulated informational flyers about the boycott, and asked that customers donate food and essential supplies to war-ravaged Gazans. "I'm here because I want to help my people," said Shaymaa Mimi, 15, who has been volunteering for PMRS for a year. 

The Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), headquartered in Ramallah, has been collecting donated supplies to send to Gaza since the start of recent hostilities in July, and has collected over 60,000 liters of water, 12 tons of food, and several truckloads of clothing to send to Gaza. PMRS operates 26 health clinics in Palestine with a staff of 350 in the West Bank, and 150 in Gaza.  It was founded in 1979 and has since grown into one of the largest community based health and emergency medical services organizations, but even altruistic NGO's have had troubles under Israeli occupation.

Early on in the conflict, humanitarian aid had been held up by the Israeli blockade of Gaza, and PRMS trucks were unable to enter to deliver supplies to Gaza until July 27th, nineteen days after the bombing campaign began. "It wasn't until Eid that we were able to get the first truck into Gaza," said Bahia Amra, Medical Relief Coordinator for PMRS. Since then, the organization has been able to deliver six truckloads of supplies through Karem Abu Salem checkpoint, but additional medical staff is not permitted to enter. Amra confirmed that three of the six deliveries had reach PRMS' branch in Gaza, and that deliveries were usually being delayed three days in the custody of Israeli soldiers.

Bravo's decision to boycott Israeli goods is significant as the largest yet community-centered enterprise to do so. Civil society groups like PMRS have long taken a clear stance on boycotts, divestments, and sanctions against Israel, and have been trying for years to convince businesses to follow suit. "We never did this before because it didn't look like there was enough local support from the community," said Bravo's Marketing Manager Yousef Sider. "But the recent war in Gaza changed a lot. Now, there's no going back."

"It's Israel who is killing our children – so we don't want them or their products in our land," Amra said. "But things are changing. The movement is growing." Outside the PMRS offices, donations continued flowing in a steady stream onto the trucks bound for Gaza. A young teenager in a volunteer's vest asks how long until the end of the work day. Najet, a staff member, replies, "as long as it is necessary, we will be here to help Gaza."