Activists from the IPSC wearing “Boycott Israel” t-shirts surrounded the Dead Sea Products stall on the top floor in Jervis Street shopping centre, handing out leaflets and asking people not to buy products from an apartheid country such as Israel. At the behest of the Dead Sea company, Security soon arrived and demanded that the peaceful demonstrators leave. The management of the shopping centre which had previously refused to reply to our correspondence, still refused to talk to us about this serious issue. After a prolonged discussion with the security guards, the IPSC activists marched out and leafleted all the exits to the Jervis Street centre, receiving a great response from passers-by. As one shopper commented: “I didn”t know about these people were here. I think it”s an absolute disgrace. I remember the boycott of South Africa, and I don”t know if I”m going to keep doing my shopping in Jervis if this company remains here.”
The IPSC will continue to actively seek a meeting with Jervis Street management to discuss the presence of this company in their store.
Dead Sea Products is one of the most noticeable Israeli cosmetic companies operating in Ireland at present, having stalls in several Irish supermarkets, often staffed by ex-Israeli soldiers. If a product is advertised as being from the Dead Sea, there is a high chance it comes from an illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. But it is not just Dead Sea Products, some of the other Israeli cosmetic products that originate from the Dead Sea are L”Oreal Israel, Dead Sea Spa, Ahava, -417 and Temsa.
As Ronan Nolan, IPSC boycott officer stated: “Boycotting these products offers a effective non-violent means for everyone to resist Israeli oppression and occupation. The campaign against Dead Sea Products in particular will continue and grow, until Irish shopping centres realise it is no longer acceptable to have such stalls in their premises”.
If there is a Dead Sea Products stall in peoples local shopping centre, the IPSC encourages them to write to the store management and complain about the presence of these companies that profit form the misery of Palestinians on their premises.
There is a sample letter available on the IPSC website at http://ipsc.ie/dsbp/
