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Boycotting products etc from Israel to help stop the genocide in Palestine 2024

There is a significant problem with the word I've highlighted bold.

Demonstrations are not (or at lest should not be) individual actions, they are/should be a collective action. And the is the point about boycotts - organised boycotts, like those against SA and BDS are collective actions (or at least attempt to take a collective approach).

A collective boycott is very different from individuals engaging in 'ethical consumerism'.
And also I was posting up about this thread. Which was originally started as an info thread.

Which then descended into a lot of whataboutery and doing anything is pointless.
 
I have a question about the boycott of Israeli olive oil. I'm sure I'm going to be seen as a bit daft with this one, but it's an honest question.

Is there a real difference in taste / texture / etc. between Israeli and other oils? Like, what would make an Israeli bottle much better than something out of Italy? Is it plainly a brand thing?

I looked at the bottles of oils we have in our house, and none say "Product of Israel" / "Imported from Israel" / "Made with Israeli olives". Most of the things we have say "made with olives sourced from" and lists places like Spain and Tunisia.

I know some brands have cleaner looking oil... not thin per se, but clear (not too yellow or dark). Some use variations from other countries for a certain taste. It's all in how it's made... but... if there's going to be a boycott of specifics, is there more of a reason besides "it was grown on stolen land"?

What do you choose instead?



I guess the same question goes for all products, really.
 
One that did work was against Barclays in the 80s and getting them to pull out of South Africa. That was a different matter though because it was a British company that was targeted and also by some high profile people and companies, so the actions had an immediately damaging effect.
I remember the Dunnes stores workers refusing to handle South African produce. It was very effective in many ways. People stopped buying SA fruit because they were supportive of the Dunnes workers in their boycott.
So yes... boycotts can make a difference.
If anything it sends a message that people are not supporting a regime that commits genocide. Between boycotts and marches the message is clear to politicians that the people see what is being done and want it to stop.

The alternative is to sit and do nothing and most people I know do not want to sit by and let a genocide continue to happen in Palestine right now.
 
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Absolutely fair enough.

I'm similar in opinion to Sas, in that if it were at all realistic I might stop buying Chinese stuff, but it's pretty much impossible and I'm under no illusion that it would be anything more than me waving an impotent finger in their direction.
But... say you're doing your shopping Spy and you have a choice of buying some nuts from Cyprus or from Israel. Would you now think twice and opt for the ones not from Israel.?
 
This is what you said.

Post in thread 'Boycotting products etc from Israel to help stop the genocide in Palestine 2024' Boycotting products etc from Israel to help stop the genocide in Palestine 2024

nino_savatte
What I should have said was that Israel is by no means the only country engaged in utterly unacceptable practices, we should also be doing something about that.

Russian oil is being covered in transit by British insurance companies, arms are being exported to Israel from the UK, etc etc.

I can appreciate that people feel that they are doing something by boycotting and marching, which they are, but to a minute extent.

Only the government can apply meaningful sanctions, and it isn't doing so. I also see nothing from Labour to indicate that they would cancel export licenses.

Add in the fact that so many people are struggling just to live, not live well, just live, it is unsurprising that people are not involved as much as they might be. A million marching throughout the land means that circa forty million are not.

I'm not criticising those who have given their time and effort, but am deeply cynical as to whether it will achieve anything.

I would imagine that many people in Israel want an end to this, and an immediate end at that, but they are in the same boat as us, only their government can change things,. which they show no sign of doing.

A heart-breaking clusterfuck, with no sign of it ending. The end of hostilities is far from the end though, the infrastructure of Gaza is so damaged that it will take many years to restore it, that is if Israel doesn't blockade building supplies.
 
But... say you're doing your shopping Spy and you have a choice of buying some nuts from Cyprus or from Israel. Would you now think twice and opt for the ones not from Israel.?

Certainly not because the nuts happened to come from Israel. If I was convinced that the farmer of the nuts was involved in nafarious practices I might think twice but otherwise I'd buy the best value nuts.
 
I would imagine that many people in Israel want an end to this, and an immediate end at that, but they are in the same boat as us, only their government can change things,. which they show no sign of doing.
I am not saying the people of Israel do not want an end to it, they certainly want their hostages back. That said, I suspect that this is in part down to Netanyaha reacting to the critism he has had over his handling of this.
Most wars are down to want the powers that be want and not what the people want.
 
What I should have said was that Israel is by no means the only country engaged in utterly unacceptable practices, we should also be doing something about that.

Russian oil is being covered in transit by British insurance companies, arms are being exported to Israel from the UK, etc etc.

I can appreciate that people feel that they are doing something by boycotting and marching, which they are, but to a minute extent.

Only the government can apply meaningful sanctions, and it isn't doing so. I also see nothing from Labour to indicate that they would cancel export licenses.

Add in the fact that so many people are struggling just to live, not live well, just live, it is unsurprising that people are not involved as much as they might be. A million marching throughout the land means that circa forty million are not.

I'm not criticising those who have given their time and effort, but am deeply cynical as to whether it will achieve anything.

I would imagine that many people in Israel want an end to this, and an immediate end at that, but they are in the same boat as us, only their government can change things,. which they show no sign of doing.

A heart-breaking clusterfuck, with no sign of it ending. The end of hostilities is far from the end though, the infrastructure of Gaza is so damaged that it will take many years to restore it, that is if Israel doesn't blockade building supplies.
Come on.. people are seeing this genocide on their social media screens. There is NO way that the vast majority of people can say "I didnt realise". And politicians must be accountable to their electorate whether they like it or not.

Doing nothing is not an option when you see evidence of 30000 murdered and 1.5 million on the verge of statvation and your government is complicit and acting in your name.
 
Come on.. people are seeing this genocide on their social media screens. There is NO way that the vast majority of people can say "I didnt realise". And politicians must be accountable to their electorate whether they like it or not.

Doing nothing is not an option when you see evidence of 30000 murdered and 1.5 million on the verge of statvation and your government is complicit and acting in your name.
Aladdin

And the protests are swaying the government, how exactly?

The government may be 'acting in my name', but there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop that.

This government has a few months to run, do you expect a change when Labour are in government?
 
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Israel still in Eurovision. That's Eurovision done for me this year BBC News - Eurovision 2024: Israel agrees to October Rain lyrics change
That's another thing to Boycott...
It should be a complete boycott.


For anyone is inerested in signing this statement to ban Israel from the eurovision
 
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I am not saying the people of Israel do not want an end to it, they certainly want their hostages back. That said, I suspect that this is in part down to Netanyaha reacting to the critism he has had over his handling of this.
Most wars are down to want the powers that be want and not what the people want.

Indeed. It would not be OTT to describe the current Israeli government as fascist. The fragmented state of Israeli politics leaves splinters like Likud exerting a huge amount of influence.
 
And the protests are swaying the government, how exactly?

The government may be 'acting in my name', but there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop that.

This government has a few months to run, do you expect a change when Labour are in government?
The voice of the people needs to be heard.
If you do and say nothing then your politicians will naturally do and say nothing.
If hundreds of thousands of people show they want an end to their government supporting the genocide then dont you believe your government would be obliged to listen? If not then you've got to question whether you are now also living in a fascist country.
 
The voice of the people needs to be heard.
If you do and say nothing then your politicians will naturally do and say nothing.
If hundreds of thousands of people show they want an end to their government supporting the genocide then dont you believe your government would be obliged to listen? If not then you've got to question whether you are now also living in a fascist country.
"your government would be obliged to listen".

No. How many people here matched against war and what did the labour government do?
 
"your government would be obliged to listen".

No. How many people here matched against war and what did the labour government do?
I know... it's so wrong.
It's as if the people in the UK have no actual voice or power.

Don't get me wrong...I think Ireland doesn't have a fantastic governmemt either but at least we have some new options.
 
I was brought up to boycott food from Israel and South Africa and have never got out of the habit of looking at country of origin when grocery shopping (sorry South Africa!). Dunno why I haven’t extended this to online products, or why I havent extended my informal boycott to China either.
We’re all hypocrites, mind.
 
I was brought up to boycott food from Israel and South Africa and have never got out of the habit of looking at country of origin when grocery shopping (sorry South Africa!). Dunno why I haven’t extended this to online products, or why I havent extended my informal boycott to China either.
We’re all hypocrites, mind.
We are.

By default mostly. Is it actually possible to buy a phone or PC that has nothing that originates in dodgy circumstances?
 
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