Wednesday 29 May 2013
United Church of Canada formalizes boycott of Israeli companies
Canada's largest Protestant church targeted three Israeli companies
with operations in Jewish settlements for economic sanctions and
boycott.
Last week, the United Church of Canada's governing General Council
approved the start of a boycott campaign, encouraging "economic action" against
Keter Plastic, SodaStream and Ahava.
The move is an outgrowth of the church's decision last year to
boycott products exported by settlements on the
West Bank and in eastern Jerusalem. At the time, the church called the
settlements the "principal obstacle to peace in the region."
In the coming months, the church "will engage in dialogue with
these companies regarding their involvement in the settlements and request that
they cease all production in the settlements," the church said. The failure to
comply "will result in economic action against their products."
The church also promises to contact Canadian retailers carrying
products from the manufacturers "and request that these items no longer be sold
in their stores."
Depending on responses from the manufacturers and retailers, church
adherents "will be invited to initiate economic actions to avoid identified
products and to continue engagement with the companies and retailers."
The United Church claims some 2 million followers.
In a statement, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, or CIJA,
pointed out that SodaStream employs "hundreds" of Palestinian workers.
The church's position, "which claims to advance Palestinian
aspirations by increasing the number of unemployed Palestinians, can only be
described as intellectually dishonest," CIJA said. "Its goal seems to be the
self-satisfaction of the General Council rather than an improvement in the life
of the average Palestinian."
CIJA pledged that as in the past, it will issue a "buycott" to
mobilize the Jewish community to support the three targeted companies "for the
benefit of Israeli and Palestinian workers alike."
http://www.jta.org/worldreport/world-report-for-may-30-2013/807293
Posted @ 17:43
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