Jewish groups fight push to have Trader Joe’s boycott Israeli products
Display of holiday Challah bread with a Rosh Hashanah sign in the bakery section at Trader Joe’s, Danville, California, Oct. 4, 2024. Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images.
by Miri Weissman
(Israel Hayom) — Anti-Israel activist organization CodePink has collected 15,000 signatures on a petition urging Trader Joe’s to remove Israeli products from its stores, while Jewish community groups have launched a counter-campaign encouraging supporters to purchase these same items.
“As the Israeli genocide continues to devastate Gaza and the broader Middle East, companies like Trader Joe’s must take a stand,” CodePink states in their petition. “By stocking Israeli products, Trader Joe’s supports a system that perpetuates suffering.”
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement petition specifically targets several products currently carried by the grocery chain, including Israeli-made feta cheese, Bamba snacks and Dorot frozen herb products.
The campaign takes aim at Trader Joe’s corporate ethos, referencing the company’s stated commitment to ethical business practices. The organization is calling for Trader Joe’s to halt sales of Israeli products “until Israel ends the occupation, respects international law and ensures full and equal rights for Palestinians.”
In response, Jewish community groups have mobilized a “buycott” campaign, circulating messages encouraging supporters to purchase Israeli products and thank the retailer for continuing to stock them. The counter-campaign highlights Trader Joe’s previous stance against boycott efforts in 2005/2006 when the company maintained its Israeli product lines despite similar pressure.
Both groups are utilizing grassroots organizing tactics, with CodePink distributing action guides and flyers for store demonstrations, while Jewish community groups are sharing their message through WhatsApp and other social media platforms. Trader Joe’s has not yet publicly responded to either campaign.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
