Fight The Boycott Of Trader Joe's

SUPPORT TRADER JOE’S ON ISRAEL’S BEHALF
Congregation Ner Tamid of  South Bay
June 17, 2009 / 25 Sivan 5769

Dear Friends:
As many of you know, one of the most difficult challenges for the State  of Israel during its recent war in Gaza (and ever since) was determining how to counter the numerous boycotts launched against suppliers, vendors, and retailers throughout Europe distributing or selling Israeli products.

A major contributing factor to the difficulty in combating these  boycotts was and remains the relatively small Jewish population throughout Europe, as compared to the much larger and growing Muslim population.  Very sadly, the tactic employed against Israeli products in Europe has now made its way to our own country, taking root in our own backyard and focusing its attention upon a grocery retailer that many of us patronize, Trader Joe’s.

Only, the difference is that, in the United States, there is a significantly larger Jewish population then there is in Europe and we now find ourselves in a position to make an immediate and very positive impact on Israel’s behalf.

Trader Joe’s has been targeted by anti-Israel groups for boycotts, and possibly for picketing, because of their refusal to bow to pressure by anti-Israel groups who have sought to have the store’s management remove  Israeli products from their shelves.  The group spearheading this  effort nationwide is the BOYCOTT DIVESTMENT CAMPAIGN, a coalition of anti-Israel groups that is based in Pittsburgh, PA.

Regionally, they are working  in concert with the Northern-California-based South Bay Mobilization Group (http://www.quitpalestine.org/dbia/).  Together with other groups comprising this sinister coalition that aims to cast Israel as an Apartheid State in the vein of South Africa-a baseless charge that reflects ignorance and, most often, anti-Semitic sentiments, those targeting Trader Joe’s seek to bring harm to Israel’s economy and to tarnish its standing in American public opinion by mobilizing intimidating boycotts in a most offensive manner.  They have selected this coming Saturday, June 20th, as their initial, nationwide World Refugee Day. To understand their aims in their own words, the following is a quote from their website:
“We invite you to organize in your community and deshelve, sticker, boycott, and protest the presence of Israeli products!”

Here’s what we can do:
1. Learn more about this immediate concern by reading the report issued on the StandWithUs website (StandWithUs is a Los Angeles based  Israel-advocacy organization that does outstanding work): Stand With Us

2. Please make a point of shopping at Trader Joe’s over the coming days and weeks. Please go out of your way to introduce yourselves to store-managers and to let them know that one of the reasons that you are patronizing their store is precisely because of their principled and courageous determination  to continue selling Israeli products.  Let them  know that you know of many others who feel this way, who might not choose to introduce themselves  personally, but who have determined to support Trader Joe’s all the more so because of its decision.

3.  Wherever you may shop-for groceries and otherwise, please  consider both or either (a) going out of your way to purchase Israeli products and/or (b) thanking store-managers or proprietors for carrying Israeli products.

Please forward this email to as many people as possible.  This is not Europe!

We can make a huge difference together on Israel’s behalf..

In doing so, we will strengthen our own Jewish community and uphold principles of freedom and decency that strengthen our country on the whole, as well.

Thank you in advance for your efforts to  counter this offensive attempt to bring harm to Israel and, thereby, to the welfare of Jews everywhere.

Have a wonderful rest of the week, and Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Isaac Jeret
Spiritual Leader