AHAVA

South Africa and Denmark make historic rulings to correctly label Israeli settlement products; and international Quaker churches fully divest from the Caterpillar corporation.

UMass Boston’s undergraduate student government unanimously passes a divestment resolution against Boeing; the US’ largest Latin@ youth association continues to endorse BDS across the country; Moroccan activists say no to orientalist Israeli belly dancers; and more!

Refusing to contribute to international law violations, a major Norwegian retail chain announced that it will stop sales of all Israeli settlement-owned Ahava products across the country.

DaitoCrea, the Japanese distributor for Ahava’s cosmetics line — produced in an illegal West Bank settlement — announced last week that they will immediately stop carrying Ahava products.

Sixty thousand Palestinians live under harsh conditions in the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea area - one of the most isolated and restricted areas in occupied Palestine. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that thousands of Palestinians in the area risk forced displacement.

Academic scholars visit Palestine on a fact-finding mission and urge their colleagues to join the academic boycott of Israel; London’s Museum of Natural History criticized for its links with settlement industry Ahava; and more.

In a historic move, the National Union of Students (NUS) in the UK has throws its weight behind campaigns targeting Eden Springs and Veolia.

It’s difficult to avoid, especially in the frenzy of consumerism and gift-giving which washes over the West at the end of every year: “I meant to boycott that company,” I’ve had friends tell me, “but it was a gift.” Or, “I bought it before I knew.” But like it or not, our unwitting purchases, or receipt thereof as gifts, play a role in preventing Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns against Israel from achieving their full potential.

Holiday shopping-related actions took place around the world as BDS activists encouraged shoppers not to buy Israeli products. And a group in California calls on the state pension fund to investigate its investment ties with Israeli companies and US companies that do business with the Israeli military.