The UK’s Co-op supermarket chain will lose trade as a result of its “virtue-signalling” move to stop importing products from Israel, a leading Jewish commentator said today.
Keith Rowe, vice-chairman of the National Jewish Assembly advisory board, said the confused “vociferous left” logic behind the food retailer’s decision could lead to a boycott of its stores.
He said misrepresenting the truth in this way would further damage public trust and make life tougher, not easier, for many moderate Palestinian Arabs working in Israel.
Go woke, go broke
“Such virtue-signalling will do nothing to advance the cause of peace anywhere,” said Mr Rowe of what has the potential to be the latest example of ‘go woke, go broke,” joining notable brands such as Bud Light and Nike on that path.
Mr Rowe, based in Birmingham, spoke up after the chain, which runs 2,300 food stores across Britain, said it will cease sourcing products and ingredients from 17 countries, including Israel, where there are “internationally recognised” human rights abuses and violations of international law.
Oct 7th – worst antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust
Criticism of Israel has intensified as its military continues to seek the return of the remaining hostages kidnapped from Israel and still held by Hamas, the Iran-funded terror group. On October 7 2023 Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 people after crossing the border into Israel in the most egregious atrocity against Jews since the Holocaust.
Mr Rowe said: “It is indeed a sad day when a respected organisation such as the Co-op conflates the actions of a murderous dictatorial and aggressive regime such as Putin’s Russia with the defensive actions of the Middle East’s only democracy.
‘Pandering to the vociferous left in politics’
“By doing so and pandering to the vociferous left in politics, they show a bias, which such organisations should stay clear of – and which tell many others to keep clear of their stores.
“Such virtue-signalling will do nothing to advance the cause of peace anywhere. It perpetuates the current lack of truth by our broadcast media and will do more to harm to moderate Palestinian Arabs working in Israel than it will do to help either side.”
Co-op have stopped importing from lots of countries they deem unsuitable
Debbie White, chair of the Co-op Group board, said: “The voices of our members have been listened to and then acted upon. As a business, we have a long-standing legacy of doing the right thing, supporting Fairtrade and championing ethical sourcing, and this policy is a natural progression of this.”
Other countries on Co-op’s banned list include Russia, Mali, Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Libya and Syria.
