Published on the BDS Movement, February 26, 2025
As Ramadan begins, Israel continues to carry out large scale military aggression in the illegally occupied West Bank, at least 40,000Palestinians so far have been ethnically cleansed from their land and homes. In Gaza, despite a shaky ceasefire agreement that Israel’s far-right government was finally forced to accept, an estimated half a million Palestinians returned to the north of Gaza while approximately 1.4 million Palestinians remain internally displaced.
A ceasefire, however, is only the most important first step to end the genocide against the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza. Without massive pressure, it may constitute a continuation of a less visible form of genocide that Israel and the US hope will provoke less regional and global outrage, boycotts and sanctions.
After all, Israel’s genocide, armed, funded and shielded from accountability by the colonial West, intentionally reduced the illegally occupied Gaza Strip into an unlivable territory by destroying life-sustaining conditions designed to cause continued mass loss of Palestinian lives and spread of infectious diseases as well as famine or food insecurity for years to come, while attempting to force as many Palestinians as possible into exile. 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 systems of genocide and apartheid oppressing and killing our people.
As millions worldwide break their fasts during Ramadan, remember Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank whose spirit remains unbroken. Let’s pledge to:
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Boycott Israeli dates: Don’t break your fast with Israeli dates–grown on stolen Palestinian land and with stolen water. Always check the label carefully, 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)
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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 be removed from shelves.
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#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. BDS has succeeded in shutting down Carrefour’s business in Jordan and Oman. Let’s spread the boycott and escalate!
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#BoycottMcDonalds: The brand’s Israeli franchisee has 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, especially during Ramadan, until it ends its complicity in Israel’s apartheid regime.
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#BoycottCoke: Coca-Cola Israel operates a regional distribution center and cooling houses in the illegal [Israeli] Atarot settlement. Furthermore, its subsidiary, Tabor Winery, produces wines from grapes sourced from vineyards located on occupied land in illegal settlements in the West Bank and Syrian Golan. Israeli soldiers partaking in the ongoing genocide have often been pictured with Coke cans, donated to them by various genocide-enabling groups. Local alternatives are popping up worldwide to substitute Coca-Cola, an unnecessary and replaceable beverage.
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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 apartheid and genocide.