The UK government need to comply with the UN and support International Law. Send your MP an email to call for a ban of trade with illegal Israeli settlements.
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Tweet your MP to put pressure on the UK government to end trade with illegal Israeli settlements.
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Distribute free #CheckTheLabel info cards outside your local supermarket, fruit & veg shops or anywhere that sells Israeli produce. Order now.
Seasonal fruits and vegetables such as dates, strawberries, citrus fruits, peppers, figs and avocados.
No. You also need to #CheckTheLabel of manufactured products including cosmetics, carbonation devices, plastics, textile products and toys.
Settlements are built up Israeli communities on stolen Palestinian land. Pre-existing Palestinian communities are forcibly removed from their homes and deprived of access to their land.
The United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Security Council and the International Court of Justice have all said that Israeli settlements on the West Bank violate the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The Fourth Geneva Convention says that an occupying power “shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” Israel has been doing exactly that, since occupying the West Bank in 1967.
The campaign to boycott Israeli produce stems from the fact that a large quantity of Israeli produce are grown on farmlands which were stolen from Palestinian farmers. These lands are now solely occupied by Israelis and the bulk of income from the harvest of produce enriches the illegal Israeli settlers and the state of Israel. Palestinians, are however, permitted to work on the land for the Israeli settlers, thus undertaking the gruelling backbreaking work of farming fruit and veg, while Israelis reap the rewards of theft of land and a harvest they did not work for.
Palestinians will face a short-term economic dip, however, as we have seen during the South African apartheid, boycotting is an effective strategy to stop oppressive regimes. Palestinians will undoubtedly benefit in the long-term with a prosperous economy of their own without living under apartheid and occupation.
FOA has also identified the use of child labourers on these farms. Children who should be at school are instead employed on these farms doing dangerous jobs without adequate protection. Children interviewed by Human Rights Watch stated that they had little choice about the work, as their families lived in poverty. They hated working on the illegal settlement farms, but the occupation has starved the Palestinian economy of growth and prosperity, leaving many in poverty and with little choice.
The #CheckTheLabel boycott is aimed at pressuring Israel to end its occupation, end its illegal settlement programme, end its illegal siege of Gaza and answer the charges that Israel has engaged in war crimes against the Palestinians.
As we saw with apartheid South Africa during the 1980s, boycotting served as an effective strategy to highlight injustice and to ultimately build up pressure on the South African government.
By not buying produce from Israel, the illegal settlements in the West Bank, or in the Jordan Valley you are making a stand in supporting the Palestinians. By boycotting you are putting international pressure upon Israel to end its brutal occupation and to ensure it complies with international law in a peaceful way. It is making a difference. Israel is spending millions of pounds countering the boycott, as it knows the boycott focuses on its grave violations of international law and injustice towards the Palestinian population.
1. It reduces their income as companies stop trading with Israel.
2. It isolates Israel by rejecting it from the rest of the democratic world by exposing it as a false democracy, wherein there is only freedom for one people and oppression for another.
3. It pressurises Israel to change its inhumane policies in Gaza and release it strangle hold in the West Bank.
4. As world governments clamour to support Israel and its ‘right to defend itself’ while ignoring the relentless Israeli aggression and wanton violence against Palestinians, ordinary people like us can make a huge difference.
Through boycott, we isolate Israel and send a clear message that the global grassroots communities will not stand by and do nothing while Israel murders innocent Palestinian women and children.
When shopping let’s be more mindful of what we’re buying! Always check the label to avoid buying produce labelled from 'Israel'. Many of us aren't aware of the level of trade between the UK and Israel so it’s not surprising that we can easily take stolen goods home.
Last year a total of £4.8billion worth of goods and services were traded between the UK and Israel.
Exports from the UK to Israel amounted to £2.8 billion – this money is going towards an apartheid state! Imports into the UK amounted to £2.1 billion. These imports ends up in our shops, and some of them come from illegal Israeli settlements.
Illegal Israeli settlements are extremely harmful for Palestinians. Settlements are Israeli communities built on stolen Palestinian land. Pre-existing Palestinian communities are forcibly removed for settlements to be built and Palestinians are deprived of access to their homes and land.
Contact your MP to call on the Foreign Secretary to ban goods from illegal Israeli settlements. The UK government repeatedly condemns Israeli violations and settlements, but continues to trade with them! Although there has now been a decrease of £230 million in trade compared to 2019, this is far from over and we must keep up the pressure on our government.
Trade is a huge factor in sustaining illegal Israeli settlements. Let’s ensure this ends once and for all! Take action now.
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