FAQs

How can boycotting Israeli goods help end these violations of human rights?

Israel¹s treatment of the Palestinians strongly resembles South Africa¹s apartheid system, which began to crumble only when international boycott and divestment had caused severe cultural and economic isolation. Similarly, boycott and divestment will put pressure on the Israeli government to end the occupation and adhere to international law.

In addition to its direct impact, a boycott of Israeli products will help influence world opinion against the occupation and apartheid system. This, in turn, will build pressure for divestment from companies doing business with Israel and can lead to reconsideration of the current unconditional U.S. diplomatic and economic support of Israeli expansionist and discriminatory policies.

Why Israel?

While Israel/Palestine is not the only place where human rights are under attack, there are two main reasons for focusing the boycott campaign on Israel:

* Israel is the largest single recipient of U.S. foreign aid and

diplomatic support. Since 1982, the U.S. has given Israel aid amounting to $75 billion and has vetoed 32 UN Security Council Resolutions condemning its human rights violations. This preferential treatment could be called into question if Israel failed to respond to the just demands of an international boycott.

* Israeli oppression of the Palestinians has been a major factor behind the chronic turmoil in the Middle East. Regional stability requires an end to this source of hostilities between the two peoples.

But doesn¹t Israel have a right to defend itself?

International law is emphatic in its prohibition of collective punishment of civilians. Amnesty International reports that in 2006 alone the Israeli army killed 325 Palestinian civilians, including 120 children, while Palestinians killed 20 Israeli civilians, including one child. Even more to the point is the following excerpt from ³The Courage to Resist² letter signed by 600 Israel Defense Force reserve officers:

We, combat officers and soldiers...have been on reserve duty all over the Occupied Territories, and were issued commands and directives that had nothing to do with the security of our country, and that had the sole purose of perpetuating our control over the Palestinian people...The missions of occupation and oppression do not serve the purpose of Israel¹s defense, and we shall take no part in them.

Is boycotting Israeli goods anti-Semitic?

The boycott does not target the Jewish people; it targets Israeli government policies that harm not only Palestinans but Israeli Jews as well. The occupation has placed a huge strain on Israel¹s budget, on its lines of defense and on its international reputation.

The boycott¹s goal is equality and justice for everyone in the land. These are well known traditional Jewish values. Moreover, a non-violent tactic whose purpose is to achieve a just and lasting peace cannot legitimately be called anti-Semitic.

Why Rainbow Grocery?

Rainbow is a community-conscious cooperative that has always been responsive to shoppers¹ input, e.g., when it supported the South African boycott. Although it carries few Israeli products, a boycott by a worker-owned organization as significant as Rainbow grocery could inspire similar

community organizations to follow suit. This would bolster the growing

international boycott/divestment/sanctions movement which, as of summer 2007 includes national labor unions in Canada, Great Britain, Ireland and South Africa, the government of the Netherlands and the Church of England. Among other groups considering support of the campaign are the World Council of Churches, the Presbyterian Church, the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church and many universities.

Let Rainbow know you support a boycott of Israeli goods by calling

(415) 863-0620 or by sending a message to www.rainbowgrocery.org, click on ‘contact¹ and use their message box.

RainbowBIG@earthlink.net