Dublin Food Co-Op passes Israeli boycott motion

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Friday November 26, 2010 18:43

by John D - IPSC

consumerboycott at ipsc dot ie

Last night at a Special General Meeting, members of the Dublin Food Co-Op voted overwhelmingly to boycott Israeli goods. This was the third attempt over the last 2 years to bring in a boycott of Israeli goods. Previous attempts failed to reach consensus or when put to a vote failed to reach the required 75%. Last night the mood was clearly in favour with a final tally of 50 for to about 6 against.

The Dublin Food Co-Op has The Rochdale Co-operative Principles (1844/1995) as its guiding principles which are 'based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others'.

It has been clear for some time that a coop based on these principles could not continue to sit on the fence while Israel continued its unabated assault on the Palestinian people and ignored the many calls by the world community to stop.

While the Dublin Food Co-Op itself has an unwritten 'policy' not to stock or sell Israeli produce, some of the fruit and vegetable producer/sellers have sold Israeli produce much to the disquiet of many members. Until recently inadequate labeling of products meant that members may not have known they were purchasing Israeli produce unless they specifically asked. Two years ago two thirds of the members voted for a boycott however it failed to reach three quarter vote required.

The Co-Op does stock some Palestinian produce (as a gesture of positive discrimination) and it has attempted to bring the food labeling in line with EU Directives. This has been generally observed and at a minimum the members could now make an informed decision beyond just Israel produce but also other regimes abusing human rights or for environmental reasons such as food miles.

Following the massacre by Israeli military on the Mavi Mara and the ongoing blockade of Gaza members petitioned the coop to call for a SGM on a boycott. (See below for wording).

At the meeting last night the proposer spoke eloquently and with passion and conviction as to why the members should support the motion. Member after member stood up expressing the many reasons why the motion should be passed and why the coop should stand up for the human rights of the Palestinian people and support their call for an international boycott of Israel. There was little dissention with some opposing who felt that the debate was unbalanced and 'unfair' on Israel ... others opposed the motion on the basis that this would politicize the coop.

At last the Dublin Food Co-Op can now, with true conviction, stand over their principles of 'ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others'.

Then BDS campaign is strengthening day by day:

Last weekend the Russell Tribunal on Palestine give a very strong endorsement for BDS campaign, in particular the IPSC's campaign seeking Irish multinational CRH's divestment from its Israeli interests. See here for more: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/98266

Also at the weekend the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) in Ireland voted to support BDS. See here for more: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/98280

Last night in Dublin the Dublin Food Coop passed the Israeli boycott motion.

Also last night at a reception, hosted by the Palestinian Delegation, three Palestinian Church Leaders (Greek Orthodox, Anglican and Catholic) made a passionate appeal to the Irish people to support the BDS campaign. The Sadaka organised tour by the leaders seeks among to raise support among the churches in Ireland for the Kairos Palestine document ( http://www.kairospalestine.ps/?q=content/document ) .

Dublin Food Boycott Motion wording

This special general meeting of the members of Dublin Food Co-Op, proposed a motion calling for a boycott of all Israeli products at Dublin Food Co-op's premises.

The boycott, if agreed, shall remain in force until such time as the state of Israel agrees:

a) to allow humanitarian-aid and un-armed peace activists entry into Palestine without the threat of violence and death from Israeli armed forces

and

b) agrees to honor UN resolutions regarding the unlawful occupation of Palestine in the so called Israeli 'settlements'.

The boycott, if approved, also includes Dublin Food Co-Op's artisan food producer members and organic farmers who occasionally sell at the co-op, fruit and vegetables imported from Israel.

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Comments (5 of 5)

Treasurer

by Rizwan - IPBE

Sun Nov 28, 2010 20:15

Congratulations are in order to this courageous corporation. I shall continue to stand and buy their products. Kudos for doing the right thing.

Congratulations & well done

by Marc Spring

Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:26

As a member of the food co-op who could not be present at that SGM, I really welcome this move.

It's flabbergasting that someone could join, and work within, an organisation that expounds "democracy, equality, equity and solidarity" and then be comfortable selling Israeli produce - and would also to try and defend that position and hold the organisation to it. That's the very worst thing that can happen to such an organisation - betrayal from within, transforming a beautiful movement with the potential to offer an alternative, into a smug, self-satisfied greed game for Saturday mornings.

Far better to be abolished by oppression or outcompeted by the multinationals. Those words (democracy etc) still mean something. Perhaps to some, they are just "blah" to be taken for granted and ignored when inconvenient.

Politicised? Those who avow it the least, are the ones who cleave the most strongly to the dominant political ideology. And that ideology says that the opression and killing of innocents is none of our business, as long as they are far away, don't look quite like us, and the man on TV doesn't tell us to feel sorry for them.

Guess some folks just don't have a conscience. Again, well done.

Boycott and divestment is possible in Ireland

by Salam

Thu Dec 02, 2010 21:36

Great to see. Ireland once again contributes towards the international boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign called against the aggressive state of Israel. This is a prime example of a constructive, peaceful and effective route to fighting and resisting the oppression of the Palestinian people.

I commend all those who voted in favour, well done to the folk in the IPSC and well done to the people of Ireland for continually and increasingly supporting the plight of the Palestinians.

Boycott Israeli goods

by Máire Lú

Fri Dec 03, 2010 19:10

I agree. We should boycott Israeli produce and instead buy goods from all the other democratic states in the region, especially those that have news media free of censorship. I look forward to seeing the stalls in the co-operative groaning under the weight of this bounty.

To 'A Freeman' aka Máire Lú

by what a liar you are

Fri Dec 03, 2010 23:15

"especially those that have news media free of censorship"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Israel

Laws on censorship in Israel are based on British emergency regulations from 1945 that apply to domestic media, foreign newspapers and wire service transmissions from or through Israel. . . . . News censorship is the responsibility of the Israeli Military Censor. Regulations do not require all articles to be submitted for censorship prior to publication, . . . . . Failing to do so may cause the reporter to be cut off or, in the case of foreign reporters, be barred from the country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_Military_Censor

The Israeli Military Censor is a unit in the IDF Directorate of Military Intelligence which watches over the publication of information regarding the military network, and generally, the security of Israel. The Military Censor, as part of its duty, has authority to suppress information it deems compromising from being made public in the media.

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Dublin Food Co-Op passes Israeli boycott motion

Comments (5 of 5)