Remain resolute in your stand against BDS intimidation
The Issue
Petition to Woolworths Holdings Limited
Woolworths Holdings Limited in South Africa has been the recent target of protest action from an assortment of groups led by the Boycott, Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement in South Africa.
BDS has sought, without success, to compel the South African government to impose sanctions coupled with the breaking of diplomatic ties with Israel. The South African government has shown commendable restraint and prudence in resisting these irrational demands and this has forced BDS to shift their focus to corporate entities with the mistaken hope of finding easier targets.
Thus Woolworths has found itself being targeted by BDS for no other reason other than stocking “Israeli products” in its shelves or an even more vague accusation of having “some sort of trade relationship with Israel.” It is important to note that neither of the afore-mentioned situations are prohibited by South African law but rather a Department of Trade and Industry requirement is placed on the labelling of goods from the so-called occupied territories. Woolworths is on record as stating that it does not stock any products falling into such a category.
These protest have ranged from picketing inside and outside Woolworths stores; till-jamming; flash mobs; protestors lying on the floor of stores in a deliberate attempt to disrupt the movement of normal shoppers and, on at least one occasion, placing a pig’s head in the shelf of a Woolworths store in Sea Point, Cape Town.
Whilst we recognise the democratic right of our fellow citizens to protest and make their views known on any particular matter we also assert that the majority of South Africans disagree with the current BDS campaign targeting Woolworths and we must be allowed the freedom to exercise our democratic right to choose where to shop and do so without interference or intimidation. It seems patently obvious that certain groups of these protestors cannot differentiate between the State of Israel and dietary laws observed by Christians, Jews and Muslims indicating a basic lack of appreciation for the real target of their protest action.
Woolworths is recognised as a shopping destination of choice by a considerable section of the South African consuming public who elect to purchase their products from these stores. Given that there is no legal impediment or restriction that Woolworths breaches by stocking products from Israel, Woolworths must, accordingly, also be allowed the freedom to exercise its commercial rights to conduct its retail operations without undue and illegal interference.
It is instructive to note that the Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, has come out in public against the BDS movement. In December 2013, whilst attending the funeral of our former South African President Nelson Mandela: When asked about BDS, Abbas responded as follows: “No, we do not support the boycott of Israel.”
It should be noted further that as recently as May 2014, the Palestinian Authority arrested and tried four prominent BDS activists for “provoking riots and breach of public tranquillity.” A Palestinian official in Ramallah explained that BDS makes the Palestinians appear as if they are all radicals and went on to say: “This goes against the PLO’s official policy, which is to seek a peace agreement with Israel based on a two-state solution.”
Thus it is astonishing to note that in Palestinian Authority controlled territory, BDS activists are viewed as nothing other than “trouble-makers” and “law-breakers” yet they wish to infringe upon our rights here in South Africa on the pretext of standing in solidarity with Palestinians who would evidently arrest them at the first opportunity!
We, the undersigned, wish to bring to the attention of the Board of Directors and shareholders of Woolworths Holdings Limited our appreciation for the committed stand shown by Woolworths Holdings Limited in continuing to stock products from Israel during this period and equally assure you of our committed support and patronage to your company in the face of this fleeting disturbance.
We shall together prevail against this abuse of our democratic rights for what is right can never be impossible.
Petition Closed
The Issue
Petition to Woolworths Holdings Limited
Woolworths Holdings Limited in South Africa has been the recent target of protest action from an assortment of groups led by the Boycott, Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement in South Africa.
BDS has sought, without success, to compel the South African government to impose sanctions coupled with the breaking of diplomatic ties with Israel. The South African government has shown commendable restraint and prudence in resisting these irrational demands and this has forced BDS to shift their focus to corporate entities with the mistaken hope of finding easier targets.
Thus Woolworths has found itself being targeted by BDS for no other reason other than stocking “Israeli products” in its shelves or an even more vague accusation of having “some sort of trade relationship with Israel.” It is important to note that neither of the afore-mentioned situations are prohibited by South African law but rather a Department of Trade and Industry requirement is placed on the labelling of goods from the so-called occupied territories. Woolworths is on record as stating that it does not stock any products falling into such a category.
These protest have ranged from picketing inside and outside Woolworths stores; till-jamming; flash mobs; protestors lying on the floor of stores in a deliberate attempt to disrupt the movement of normal shoppers and, on at least one occasion, placing a pig’s head in the shelf of a Woolworths store in Sea Point, Cape Town.
Whilst we recognise the democratic right of our fellow citizens to protest and make their views known on any particular matter we also assert that the majority of South Africans disagree with the current BDS campaign targeting Woolworths and we must be allowed the freedom to exercise our democratic right to choose where to shop and do so without interference or intimidation. It seems patently obvious that certain groups of these protestors cannot differentiate between the State of Israel and dietary laws observed by Christians, Jews and Muslims indicating a basic lack of appreciation for the real target of their protest action.
Woolworths is recognised as a shopping destination of choice by a considerable section of the South African consuming public who elect to purchase their products from these stores. Given that there is no legal impediment or restriction that Woolworths breaches by stocking products from Israel, Woolworths must, accordingly, also be allowed the freedom to exercise its commercial rights to conduct its retail operations without undue and illegal interference.
It is instructive to note that the Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, has come out in public against the BDS movement. In December 2013, whilst attending the funeral of our former South African President Nelson Mandela: When asked about BDS, Abbas responded as follows: “No, we do not support the boycott of Israel.”
It should be noted further that as recently as May 2014, the Palestinian Authority arrested and tried four prominent BDS activists for “provoking riots and breach of public tranquillity.” A Palestinian official in Ramallah explained that BDS makes the Palestinians appear as if they are all radicals and went on to say: “This goes against the PLO’s official policy, which is to seek a peace agreement with Israel based on a two-state solution.”
Thus it is astonishing to note that in Palestinian Authority controlled territory, BDS activists are viewed as nothing other than “trouble-makers” and “law-breakers” yet they wish to infringe upon our rights here in South Africa on the pretext of standing in solidarity with Palestinians who would evidently arrest them at the first opportunity!
We, the undersigned, wish to bring to the attention of the Board of Directors and shareholders of Woolworths Holdings Limited our appreciation for the committed stand shown by Woolworths Holdings Limited in continuing to stock products from Israel during this period and equally assure you of our committed support and patronage to your company in the face of this fleeting disturbance.
We shall together prevail against this abuse of our democratic rights for what is right can never be impossible.
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Petition created on November 10, 2014