Media Release

26/03/2013

Australian Jewish group urges Israeli settlement boycott



The Australian Jewish Democratic Society (AJDS), a progressive Jewish organisation based in Melbourne, is pleased to launch “Don’t Buy From the Settlements”: a campaign encouraging Australian Jews to avoid buying products made in settlements located in the Occupied Territories.

The campaign was launched online today at www.dontbuysettlementproducts.org.au as well as on Facebook.

Israeli settlements are seen around the world as a major obstacle to creating peace between Israelis and Palestinians. One way to take a stand against the harm they create is not to buy the products they produce. This sends a clear message that we will not be complicit in the settlement program.

The AJDS launched this campaign as the Jewish festival of Passover, which is commonly known as a festival of freedom, begins. On Passover we remember that Jews were once slaves in Biblical Egypt. This year the AJDS is putting a call out to the Jewish community asking them to join a long history of people who have fought for freedom, for both Jews and for non-Jews.

AJDS executive member Dr Jordy Silverstein says: “not buying products from settlements will not work on its own, but it is one small step that we can take. When we add in the possibility of sharing knowledge about what the settlements mean and what they do, together with the capability to have these difficult conversations about what kind of Israel we want to create, we can work alongside Palestinians, Israelis, and people throughout the diasporas to create an exciting, liberating future.”

The AJDS looks forward to working with peoples throughout the various Australian Jewish and non-Jewish communities to cease buying settlement products. We are excited to join new conversations about what kind of Israel we can help to create.

For more information, including a list of products that are manufactured in settlements, and an explanation of some of the many different reasons why settlements are a problem, please visit our website at www.dontbuysettlementproducts.org.au