Campaigners urge shoppers to ‘boycott Israeli goods’

Andrew Wastling, George Abendstern, Janette Gee, Jenny Turner, Trevor Hoyle and Imra Shoaib in Yorkshire Street

Rochdale Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) supported by Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group, urged Rochdale shoppers to ‘Boycott Israeli Goods,’ on Saturday (21 May).
 
Rochdale PSC Branch Coordinator Jenny Turner said: "For over 60 years successive United Nations' resolutions have not brought any respite for the suffering of Palestinian refugees or the people in territories occupied by Israel.

“The world's governments have done nothing, so ordinary people in Rochdale and elsewhere must take their own action. We are here today to raise awareness of the Palestinian struggle and to promote and support the international boycott of Israeli goods.”

Ms Turner continued: "We in Rochdale PSC and RLPG believe that it is a scandal that Israel profits from exporting fruit and vegetables grown on illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land and often misleadingly labelled 'West Bank'.

“People in Rochdale do not want to buy food grown on stolen land. Israel's siege of Gaza caused untold misery to its people throughout 2007 and 2008 ; then Israel used overwhelming military force to kill 1,500 Palestinians, including many hundreds of children, at the start of 2010.

“We are calling on shoppers in Rochdale to show their solidarity with and support for the Palestinians against occupation, to join the boycott and help bring down Israeli apartheid in the same way the consumer boycott brought down South African apartheid.”

“It has worked before and it will work again," she concluded.
 
Andrew Wastling, added: “We are telling Rochdale shoppers to check the label and asking them not to buy goods labelled 'Israel' or 'West Bank'. 'West Bank' means that this is produce from Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land. We are urging people to complain and challenge their supermarkets and to buy Palestinian goods wherever they can.”

To join Rochdale PSC call 07787 575 570 at 07842 252639 or email:   rochdalepsc@gmail.com.