This Ramadan, let’s escalate the boycott of companies implicated in Israel’s genocide against Palestinians

March 11th, 2024 – As Ramadan begins, the UN’s hunger monitoring system, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, has raised the alarm regarding famine in Gaza confirming, “This is the highest share of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity that the IPC initiative has ever classified for any given area or country.”

Israel’s live-streamed genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in the occupied and besieged Gaza Strip has now entered its fifth month, murdering over 30,000 Palestinians, including 13,000 children, bringing over half a million to the brink of famine, and making Gaza largely uninhabitable. Using starvation as a weapon of war, Israel has severely restricted aid delivery to the northern region of Gaza, exacerbating the already dire situation. 

Simultaneously, apartheid Israel’s far-right government is imposing strict restrictions on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank preventing them from reaching al-Aqsa mosque compound, the Noble Sanctuary located in the occupied Old City of Jerusalem, during this holy month. 

Ending all state, corporate and institutional complicity with Israel’s genocidal regime is therefore more urgent than ever. Let's intensify organic campaigns and make a conscious effort to strengthen the global boycott campaigns of products of complicit companies (Israeli and international). This is not just about supporting a just cause; it's about actively participating in ending the genocidal system oppressing and killing our people. 

As millions worldwide break their fasts during Ramadan, remember those in Gaza whose induced starvation remains unbroken. Let’s pledge to: 

• Boycott Israeli dates: Don’t break your fast with Israeli dates–grown on stolen Palestinian land and with stolen water. Always check the label, and don’t buy dates that are produced or packaged in Israel or its West Bank settlements. If no country of origin can be found on the box, check the retailer’s website. (More steps can be found here)

• Boycott all Israeli vegetables and fruits: Israel’s major exports, grown on stolen Palestinian lands, include avocados, herbs and colored peppers. Check the country of origin, whether you are a consumer or an importer. Boycott all produce from apartheid Israel in your supermarket and demand they are removed from shelves.

• #BoycottCarrefour: Carrefour is a genocide enabler. Let’s escalate boycotting it during Ramadan until it ends its complicity with apartheid Israel. Carrefour-Israel has supported Israeli soldiers partaking in the unfolding genocide of Palestinians in Gaza with gifts of personal packages, while Carrefour France has kept silent about it. In 2022, Carrefour entered a partnership with the Israeli company Electra Consumer Products and its subsidiary Yenot Bitan, both of which are involved in grave human rights violations against the Palestinian people.

• #BoycottMcDonalds: The brand’s Israeli franchisee donated meals and beverages to Israeli military personnel committing the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and promoted this extremely provocative and racist form of complicity on their social media channels. Let’s escalate boycotting McDonald's worldwide during Ramadan until it terminates its agreement with its Israeli franchisee over its support for Israel’s war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

• Boycott complicit companies that stayed silent when their branch/franchisee in Israel supported genocide, including: Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, Papa John's, Burger King, and all companies that have enabled genocide against our people in Gaza. (For more information see here)

Let this Ramadan be a time of action and meaningful solidarity with the oppressed. Share the messaging, raise awareness, and join millions around the world to pledge to escalate boycotting complicit companies profiting from genocide.