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🛒 Co-op Makes History: UK Supermarket Giant Boycotts Israeli Goods

Exterior shot of a Co-op supermarket in the UK
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Adil

Members Vote Overwhelmingly to End Trade with Israel Over Human Rights Abuses

In a landmark win for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, the UK's Co-op supermarket chain has announced it will begin phasing out all products sourced from Israel. The decision follows an overwhelming 73% vote at the company’s Annual General Meeting in May 2025, where members urged the board to demonstrate "moral courage and leadership" by ceasing all trade with Israel.

✅ What Just Happened?

The Co-op will now:

  • 🚫 Stop sourcing products and ingredients from Israel, including for own-brand items
  • 📦 Begin a phased removal of Israeli goods across its 2,300 UK stores
  • 📋 Align sourcing policies with international human rights law and co-operative values

The move expands upon the Co-op's 2012 decision to boycott goods from illegal Israeli settlements. This time, the company is taking a stand against the entire Israeli supply chain, citing "grave human rights violations" and breaches of international law.

🧱 Why This Is Big

This is the first time a major UK retailer has taken such comprehensive action in line with BDS demands. According to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), this decision is a "seismic victory" in the fight to hold Israel accountable for its genocide in Gaza and apartheid policies across Palestine.

Key figures from PSC and Co-op membership pointed out that the supermarket had already led the way in boycotting Russian products after the Ukraine invasion in 2022. They argued it was time to apply the same ethical consistency to Israel.

📢 Community Voices

"This vote shows that ordinary people in this country are committed to justice for Palestine in their daily lives," said PSC's Lewis Backon.

"The Co-op must now listen to its members and take Israeli goods off the shelves."

Debbie White, Chair of the Co-op Board, added: "We are committed to ensuring our sourcing policies reflect our values and principles."

🌍 What It Means Going Forward

Israeli companies that operate in illegal settlements or contribute to the military occupation — such as Hadiklaim, Mehadrin, and Edom — will be excluded from Co-op's supply chains. The move is also expected to put pressure on other UK retailers to follow suit.

It comes amid rising global condemnation of Israel's war in Gaza, where over 56,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, most of them women and children. Legal experts and human rights groups have called it one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history.

🧭 Boycat Recommends:

  • ✅ Shop local and ethical: seek out independent grocers and fair-trade certified produce
  • 🛑 Avoid brands complicit in apartheid: use the Boycat app to scan, check, and choose better
  • 📢 Pressure other UK supermarkets to adopt similar sourcing policies

This isn't just a corporate decision. It's a turning point in the UK public's ethical consumer movement.

Solidarity is on the shelves. Let's make it count.