13 (worst) companies who support Israel’s policies:
PUT WORDS INTO ACTION!
http://users.sgci.com/~peacenews/2006NovDec.html
In October a very successful conference was held in Toronto sponsored by the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid. One outcome was the organization of action committees of campus, labour, and faith groups to seek ways to call for divestment from Israel and from companies that support the Occupation of the Palestinian territories.
The issue of a consumer boycott, however, has not yet received much attention. In the September issue of this newsletter – Boycott – Divestment – Sanctions: A Movement Whose Time Has Come – I provided links to many sites that have listed companies to boycott (http://users.sgci.com/~peacenews/2006Sept.html). But now that the holiday shopping season is upon us, I realized that the information wasn’t in a handy format for consumers. So in this issue I’ve profiled 13 of the worst offending companies, as a reference guide for peace activists who want to make their consumer dollar matter.
But first, on a positive note, some suggestions on what TO buy.
* Please DO buy goods from small local producers where possible.
* Please DO buy books from Canadian publishers.
* Please DO buy fairly traded goods. (And please note that "fair trade" isn’t always what it appears. If it’s coming from a company like Starbucks, be a little suspicious. A lengthy profile on Starbucks appears in these pages.)
* Please DO buy Palestinian olive oil, soaps, wood carvings etc., that are marketed by trusted fair trade sources such as Zatoun and Ten Thousand Villages. For readers in Kitchener-Waterloo, I will be distributing Zatoun olive oil locally. Contact me at the e-mail above, or write to
[email protected] for the distributor nearest you.
* And DO check out the Buy Nothing Christmas site: buynothingchristmas.org (http://www.buynothingchristmas.org)
13 companies with the worst record for supporting Israel’s policies:
General Electric ----------------------------- CATerpillar
The Home Depot ---- The Limited
Starbucks ------------------------------------ McDonald’s
Estée Lauder ---------------L’Oréal
Delta Galil ------- Marks & Spencer -------- Sara Lee
Coca-Cola ---------------------- Intel
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Additional companies you may wish to boycott, that I haven’t profiled here, are:
Danone (yogurt, HP, Lea & Perrins, Evian water, Jacob biscuits),
Kimberly-Clark (Kleenex, Kotex, Huggies),
Johnson & Johnson, Nokia, Nestlé, and Timberland.
Most of this information has come from the site Imopa.ca (http://www.imopa.ca/boycott.htm) . (Note that the site to which this page is linked has not been updated since 2003, so there may be small changes in the companies’ activities since then.) The information on General Electric and CATerpillar is from more recent sources.
If you do decide to boycott a company, the impact is increased a hundredfold if you contact the company to inform them that you are boycotting them and why.
Many of the companies listed here were recipients of Israel’s "Jubilee Awards" given on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the State in 1998. The complete list of recipients can be seen at Boycott Israel Campaign (http://www.inminds.com/boycott-jubilee-awards.html) . The award recognized those "that have done the most to strengthen the Israeli economy." Prime Minister Netanyahu called it "the highest tribute ever awarded by the State of Israel".
* * * * *
Some very notable new books on Israel-Palestine have come out, that remind us all of the violent foundations upon which the State of Israel was formed and continues to exist:
Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter (yes, the former President)
Amazon.com: Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid (9780743285025): Jimmy Carter: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Palestine-Peace-Apartheid-Jimmy-Carter/dp/0743285026)
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Ilan Pappe (distinguished Israeli historian)
Amazon.com: The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (9781851684670): Ilan Pappe: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Ethnic-Cleansing-Palestine-Ilan-Pappe/dp/1851684670)
The One-State Solution: A Breakthrough for Peace in the Israeli-Palestinian Deadlock by Virginia Tilley (American political scientist working in S. Africa)
http://www.amazon.com/One-State-Solution-Breakthrough-Israeli-Palestinia...
These would make good additions to the DO buy list – for ourselves or others, as well as for our libraries.
The British group Jews for Justice for Palestinians has a good backgrounder on Israel-Palestine at Jews for Justice for Palestinians (http://www.jfjfp.org/background.htm) . They also have an excellent page of FAQs on the consumer boycott at Jews for Justice for Palestinians (http://www.jfjfp.org/BackgroundR/cbsi2.htm) .
Its concluding words are:
Don’t worry that you are only one person:
Live your life as though it matters, and it will matter.
On that note, let me wish for us all a just and peaceful holiday season and New Year!
Eleanor Grant
General Electric
As both a billion-dollar arms dealer and owner of the NBC network, America’s General Electric is uniquely positioned to profit from the new arms race – and simultaneously to influence what the public knows about the weapons buildup.
GE had aircraft-engine sales in excess of $2 billion during 1996. That’s not an insubstantial amount – yet it’s only 2 percent of the corporate giant’s $79.1 billion in overall sales that year. GE remains one of the world’s three largest jet-engine makers (besides Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce PLC), and subcontracts extensively to Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and other leading aircraft and helicopter manufacturers.
General Electric makes engines for Boeing’s Apache Helicopters – AH 64s – used by the Israeli military to strafe Palestinian civilians as well as to bomb Lebanon.
See GE’s big-money deals with Egypt, Kuwait, and Israel: (http://72.14.205.104/news/special_reports/arms/israel.html).
Two deals with Kuwait were arranged through the Pentagon’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, a convenient, tax-funded brokerage.
Please do not buy GE appliances.
More at: Mother Jones | Smart, Fearless Journalism (http://www.motherjones.com/news/special_reports/arms/ge.html)
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CATerpillar
Peace activists have been calling for a boycott and divestment from the CATerpillar company since one of its bulldozers was used in the murder of Rachel Corrie in 2002.
CAT armoured bulldozers are still being employed to uproot ancient olive groves and demolish homes in the Occupied Territories. Please see this site for the latest violations of international law: Stop Caterpillar:*Learn More (http://www.catdestroyshomes.org/article.php?list=type&type=3) .
The company also openly advertises its bulldozers in military conflict zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq. And many bulldozers sent to Israel are actually paid for by the US taxpayer as part of Washington’s substantial contribution to Israel’s defense budget.
Please do not buy boots, caps, T-shirts, jackets, or toys from CATerpillar or displaying the CATerpillar logo. Some are sold under Dolcis, Barratts, River Island, John Lewis and Schuh labels.
More at: www.waronwant.org/caterpillar
and http://www.redpepper.org.uk/KYE/x-kye-May2005.htm
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The Home Depot
The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement retailer and the second largest retailer in the United States, with sales of $45.7 billion.
Its founder, and Co-Chairman of the Board Bernard Marcus is an active Zionist. He is on the board of directors of Emet, the pro-Israel media ‘War Room’ whose function is to ensure that all media in the US stays biased in favour of Israel.
The World
August 18, 2001
http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/08-18-01/opening_5.asp
"A group of American business and political leaders are building a pro-Israel media ‘war room’ in Washington, D.C. The group will be called Emet – which in Hebrew means ‘truth’.
"Emet will try to address biased media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and also make the case that the conflict, while serious and important, pales in comparison to the larger geo-strategic threat posed to the United States and the West by Iran and Iraq, both of whom are trying to build and/or acquire weapons of mass destruction.
(Ever wonder where those ‘truths’ came from? – Ed.)
"Funding Emet is Leonard Abramson; he sold U.S. Healthcare to Aetna in the mid-1990s for $8.9 billion. Abramson has recruited a powerful board of directors, including:
Bernie Marcus, founder of Home Depot,
Les Wexner, founder of The Limited (see below),
Edgar Bronfman Sr., who once owned Seagram’s,
Lou Ranieri, a major Wall Street player who now co-owns one of Israel’s largest banks, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN,
and Jack Kemp." (Kemp was the running-mate of Bob Dole in the 1996 presidential election – Google him for lots of Zionist connections.)
Products and Affiliated Companies:
Home Depot retail stores
EXPO Design Centers
Villager’s Hardware stores
Apex Supply Company
Georgia Lighting
Maintenance Warehouse
National Blinds & Wallpaper
More at: Boycott Israel Campaign (http://www.inminds.com/boycott-home-depot.html)
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The Limited
The Limited, Inc. was founded by Leslie H. Wexner in 1963 in Columbus, Ohio. The Company has since grown to over 2,800 stores and five major specialty retail brands. The Limited also own approximately 84% of Intimate Brands, Inc., the leading specialty retailer of intimate apparel, beauty and personal care products through the Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, and White Barn Candle Company brands. The Company employs over 115,000 associates.
* Its founder, president and CEO Les Wexner is a Zionist. He is on the board of directors of Emet, the pro-Israel Media "War Room" whose function is to ensure that all media in the US stays biased in favour of Israel. (For more on Emet, please see the item on The Home Depot above.)
* In 1984, Les Wexner who is one of the world’s 200 wealthiest people created the Wexner Foundation. Its mission statement is "strengthening Jewish Leadership in North America and Israel."
Activities of the Wexner Foundation:
* the Wexner Israel Fellowship Program, which annually brings up to ten Israeli officials to Harvard for a year long MPA program coupled with intensive leadership development institutes. Over 135 Israeli officials have participated thus far. Many alumni of the Israel Fellowship program went on to hold high offices in Israeli government ministries and the Israeli Defense Forces.
* "Birthright Israel" – a program that pays for young American Jews to take free indoctrination trips to Israel.
* It is also a long-standing supporter of Hillel – promoter of Zionism on campus.
* In April 2003, a document prepared by the PR firm Luntz Research for the Wexner Foundation which can be described as a "A Zionist’s guide on how to manipulate the US public" was leaked. Its recommendations are based on two "dial test" sessions, in which subjects were asked to rate language using a simple dial mechanism, held in Chicago and Los Angeles during the first ten days of the Iraq war.
Products and Affiliated Companies:
Intimate Brands:
(Bath & Body Works, White Barn Candle Company, Victoria’s Secret)
Express (667 stores)
The Limited (389 stores)
Lerner New York (560 stores)
Structure (469 stores)
New York and Company (79 stores)
Mast Industries (apparel manufacturer)
Henri Bendel (Fifth avenue – single store)
Hollinger Publishing
More at: Boycott Israel Campaign (http://www.inminds.com/boycott-limited.html)
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Haha, geen computers meer voor jou. Stoppen nu, jij Israël steuner. :haha: