Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign: Irish boycott Dead Sea products

Worldwide Activism

Irish boycott Dead Sea products
Worldwide Activism, Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, September 15th, 2009

As part of the international BDS campaign, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) launched an action against Dead Sea Products, an Israeli cosmetics firm which has a stall in Jervis Centre in Dublin, on Saturday (June 12).

Activists from the IPSC wearing ‘Boycott Israel’ t-shirts surrounded the Dead Sea Products stall on the top floor in Jervis Street shopping centre, handing out leaflets and asking people not to buy Israeli products.

At the behest of the Dead Sea company, security soon arrived and demanded that the peaceful demonstrators leave. After a prolonged discussion with the security guards, the IPSC activists marched out and leafleted all the exits to the Jervis Street centre, receiving a great response from passers-by.

According to the IPSC, one shopper commented: “I didn’t know about these people were here. I think it’s an absolute disgrace. I remember the boycott of South Africa, and I don’t know if I’m going to keep doing my shopping in Jervis if this company remains here.”

The IPSC will continue to actively seek a meeting with Jervis Street management to discuss the presence of this company in their store. So far, the management has refused to meet with the IPSC.

Dead Sea Products is one of the most noticeable Israeli cosmetic companies operating in Ireland at present, having stalls in several Irish supermarkets, often staffed by ex-Israeli soldiers.

A similar campaign against Israeli cosmetic company Ahava, which also uses Dead Sea products, has been launched in the United States by CODEPINK. Street protests and in-store direct action has raised awareness about the company’s ties with settlements and the theft of Palestinian resources.

As Ronan Nolan, IPSC boycott officer stated: “Boycotting these products offers a effective non-violent means for everyone to resist Israeli oppression and occupation. The campaign against Dead Sea Products in particular will continue and grow, until Irish shopping centres realise it is no longer acceptable to have such stalls in their premises”.