OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Palestinian store
owners have revealed that they are relying on Jordanian, Turkish, and Chinese
products, as well as French canned goods amid the ongoing boycott of Israeli
products, Al-Mamlaka TV reported.
اضافة اعلان
Mohammed Ali, a Palestinian grocery
store owner in the occupied city of Al-Bireh in the West Bank, has been
boycotting Israeli products for a decade, stating that he has not sold any
Israeli products for ten years.
“I refuse to give them money that will
go to the Israeli occupation army, which kills Palestinians."
Campaigns encouraging Palestinians to
boycott Israeli products and support local goods have emerged across the West
Bank since the start of the war. One notable campaign is "From Us and
Within, Our Product Is Enough," led by major supermarket chains in the
West Bank.
Omar Bouatina, a sales point manager in
Ramallah, emphasizes the importance of highlighting Palestinian products.
Supermarket chains estimate that the consumption of Israeli products has
decreased from "90 percent to 60 percent" since the war began.
Bouatina notes that the youth working in supermarkets have developed a
political conscience and are increasingly consuming Palestinian products.
Boycott,
Divest, Sanction
These campaigns coincide with the
global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement initiated by
Palestinian civil society organizations in 2005, calling for political and
economic sanctions against Israel due to its treatment of Palestinians.
The BDS movement, inspired by the
anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, has gained international momentum with
branches in 40 countries. It aims to address the aspirations and rights of all
segments of the Palestinian people historically from the lands of 1948 to Gaza,
the West Bank, including Jerusalem, as well as the camps and diaspora affected
by Israeli colonial and settlement practices. The movement has faced
accusations of anti-Semitism from Israel and its main ally, the US. However,
BDS advocates, such as Israeli member Ofer Neiman, argue that it is a
nonviolent campaign using human rights principles to bring about change.
Israeli
confirmation
The Bank of Israel indicates that
"all investment and development projects are subject to Israeli
approval," highlighting the Palestinian territories' dependence on
international aid. In East Jerusalem, finding alternatives to Israeli products
is difficult, as local businesses are supervised by an Israeli official who
ensures a "balance" between Israeli and Palestinian products.
Furthermore, as the Palestinian boycott gains traction, debates on the
effectiveness and feasibility of this strategy continue within the local community.
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