Offensive Buycott!

Jewish Canada Community Alert

Speak out against the ongoing campaign to delegitimize the Jewish State

The organization Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJMPE) has launched a boycott campaign against Israel, targeting retail outlets such as the Bay, which sell the Israeli-made AHAVA beauty products. Eyewitnesses phoned B’nai Brith Canada’s Anti-Hate Hotline (1-800-892-2624) to confirm that they witnessed store employees removing the Israeli products from their shelves while protesters outside pushed their illegitimate boycott campaign against the democratic State of Israel.

B’nai Brith Canada has been in touch with store executives to clarify the situation, and these discussions are summarized in this letter sent to the Bay’s President and CEO:

Customers witnessed store employees removing all AHAVA products from your store at Queen Street in Toronto late last week. A spokesperson for your stores who asked not to be identified by name told our organization that a “business” decision had been made to delist the products. The timing of this decision, while the Bay and other named retail outlets are the subject of a campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel and its supporters, leads to the unavoidable perception that the Bay’s decision was in fact a response to such pressure.

As you know, Canada has a strong bilateral trade and cultural ties with the Jewish State. You yourself were recently honoured by the Israel Cancer Research Fund. With such a history of mutual respect and cooperation, surely your stores should reject outright pressure by anti-Israel agitators.

We ask that you personally review the decision made by your company not to carry an Israeli product, and issue a statement to assure our members and supporters, as well as your customers, that the Bay will not support the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel, which at its core is a shameful example of intolerance and racism.

NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO STAND UP AGAINST A PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN BASED ON BIGOTRY

We ask that you contact the Bay and tell them politely, but clearly, that as customers of the store, you hope and expect that they will continue to carry and proudly display the fine Israeli products available.

Contact: Ms. Bonnie Brooks, President and CEO, The Bay

401 Bay Street, Suite 500

Toronto, ON M5H 2Y4

Phone: 416-979-1120

Email: bonnie.brooks@hbc.com

Please copy B’nai Brith Canada on any letters or emails you send, and forward the responses you receive to Adina Klein, aklein@bnaibrith.ca, 416-633-6224, ext. 112.