Monthly Archives: July 2011

THEY SHOULD BOW THEIR HEADS IN SHAME (AGAIN)

UPDATED: 4 August 2011

Report by BDS Activist

How times are changing! Now even the Jewish press are condemning the Zionists who counter-demonstrate outside Ahava.

Case in point is the 28 July edition of The Jewish News, a free newspaper that enjoys a large circulation throughout North London. The above op-ed piece, entitled ‘Norway’s nightmare and the EDL’ is about Anders Behring Breivik who killed scores of people in Norway recently in two separate attacks.

The last paragraph reads:

“Breivik had claimed links with the far-right English Defence League. These are (the) same people who march proudly with Israeli flags and who joined the anti-boycott picket outside the Ahava shop in Covent Garden. Those who stood with the EDL or who didn’t tell them to leave should now bow their heads in shame.”

The ultra-right English Defence League (EDL) is funded by London multi-millionaire Alan Lake who denies being linked by The Telegraph newspaper to Breivik. Another EDL link is Paul Ray, a self-described “founding father” of the EDL who now lives in Malta and is the leader of a similar Islamophobic organisation whose blog allegedly provided Breivik with inspiration that lead to his own insane actions. Searchlight Magazine also recently published links between Breivik and the EDL.

As we reported throughout the autumn of 2010, the EDL’s so-called ‘Jewish Division,’ consisting of Kahanist Roberta Moore and a few other assorted lowlife misfits, joined members of the Zionist Federation (ZF) in staging counter-demonstrations outside Ahava.

Among members of the ZF who happily stood in unison alongside the EDL supporting Ahava were ZF Co Vice-Chair Jonathan Hoffman, as well as Ian Sternberg, a ZF National Council Member, in addition to other Zionist ignoramuses and simpletons.

Martin Sugarman, Chair of the Hackney Anglo-Israel Twinning Association.

Willowy and bearded Martin Sugarman, an Exams Officer at Westminster Kingsway College, is one of the ‘Zionist thugs’ who made the Nazi salute and shouted “Sieg Heil!” at 85 year-old Holocaust survivor Dr Hajo Meyer in Parliament in January 2010 and is present at most of the counter-demonstrations.

Ahava supporter Moore with right-wing "Surfing Rabbi", Nachum Shifren and former BNP member and now EDL supremo, Stephen Lennon (aka "Tommy Robinson"). You can see Lennon's recent BBC Newsnight interview 'deconstructed' on the video at the bottom of this post.

Roberta Moore.

Here are a few images that were taken during the few weeks throughout the autumn of 2010 when the EDL joined the Zionist Federation outside Ahava.

As they say, birds of feather…

Match made in Hell: Kahanist Roberta Moore of the Islamophobic EDL together with Jonathan Hoffman, Co Vice-Chair of the Zionist Federation.

Unnamed Zionist Federation counter-protester (far left) along with Moore, her balaclava wearing friend and other EDL Jewish Division supporters.

Ian Sternberg (right), who's on the Zionist Federation's National Council, campaigning and leafleting alongside Kahanist Moore (back to camera, wearing blue jeans, in front of flag).

Sternberg again (centre), a leader in the Zionist Federation, conferring with Moore (right), then head of the EDL's Jewish Division.

Sternberg (right) - yet again - alongside EDL members supporting Ahava. The sign is being held by an EDL Jewish Division member, the man holding the flagpole and wearing the blue and yellow baseball cap, as well as the man in green standing in front are all EDL members or sympathisers.

A screenshot from an EDL Facebook page publicising a Zionist Federation supported Ahava "buycott" (which failed).

Moore, then head of the Islamophobic EDL's Jewish Division, endorsing a favourite brand.

Update:

In November 2010, the EDL stopped counter-demonstrating at Ahava after a continuously low turnout by their Jewish Division.  

In March 2011, it was announced that Ahava’s landlord refused to renew its lease when it comes up for renewal in late September 2011 thanks to the fortnightly pickets, legal challenges, occupations and other direct actions. Human rights activists have vowed to continue their fortnightly protests until the shop is empty.

In June 2011, Jewish Division leader Roberta Moore either resigned or was most likely expelled after trying to forge an alliance with the Jewish Task Force, an American far-right group led by convicted terrorist Victor Vancier and considered too extreme even by the EDL. Moore now confines her activism to walking her dog and spewing her hateful ignorance on blogs.

The Zionist Federation-organised Ahava counter-demonstrations are dismal failures, often drawing fewer than five people.    

Meanwhile, the BDS Movement has gone from strength to strength, showing that a non-violent way exists to persuade Israel to comply with International Law and Universal Principals of Human Rights.

A recent interview on BBC’s Newsnight programme with the EDL leader Stephen Lennon (aka: “Tommy Robinson”). All of Lennon’s arguments are cleverly ‘deconstructed’ and proven to be false.

The Islamophobic English Defence League’s ‘Jewish Division’ was the group that members of the Zionist Federation stood together with at the Ahava counter-demonstration.

As most aptly stated in The Jewish News:

“Those who stood with the EDL or who didn’t tell them to leave should now bow their heads in shame.”

Bow their heads in shame is right.

Is Benny Morris (Professor, Ben-Gurion University) a Serious Historian or Plain Old Racist?

Benny Morris

Report by Isvestia.

London BDS is pleased to announce that a video about Benny Morris with footage of what really happened on his visit to London has now been released. People should draw their own conclusions about why Benny Morris referred in a press interview to ‘Brownshirts’, ‘Muslim mobs’ and ‘broken English’.

Benny Morris gave numerous interviews after his lecture at the London School of Economics in June 2011. Typical of these was his interview with The National Interest Magazine in which he claimed that he was accosted outside the lecture by a Muslim mob:

“As I walked down Kingsway, a major London thoroughfare, a small mob—I don’t think any other word is appropriate—of some dozen Muslims, Arabs and their supporters, both men and women, surrounded me and, walking alongside me for several hundred yards as I advanced towards the building where the lecture was to take place, raucously harangued and bated me with cries of “fascist,” “racist,” “England should never have allowed you in,” “you shouldn’t be allowed to speak.” Several spoke in broken, obviously newly acquired, English. Violence was thick in the air though none was actually used. Passersby looked on in astonishment, and perhaps shame, but it seemed the sight of angry bearded, caftaned Muslims was sufficient to deter any intervention. To me, it felt like Brownshirts in a street scene in 1920s Berlin—though on Kingsway no one, to the best of my recall, screamed the word ‘Jew’.”

Please take the time to watch the whole video – it’s a good guide to Benny Morris and what he stands for. The encounter with Benny Morris on London’s Kingsway is also included.

An article to accompany the highly-recommended 34 minute video can be found here.

If you don’t have time to spare, an abridged version commences at 30.00 min.

Welcome (to Luton) Flytilla Heroes

UPDATED: 3 August 2011

Report by Bruce

This is an account of the return of the twelve British activists who were detained and deported by Israel as part of the so-called ‘flytilla.’

Earlier this month, Palestinian civil society organisations who made up the ‘Welcome to Palestine’ campaign expected 600 to 1,000 foreign activists to take up their invitation to fly to Israel on Friday July 8th and head to the West Bank for a week of peaceful activities, starting with events in Bethlehem and Ramallah.

Activists were told to inform Israeli immigration officials of their intention to visit only Palestinian areas on arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, knowing they might be refused entry, as Palestinians have no airport of their own and all international visitors wishing to visit the occupied West Bank must first travel through Israel or Jordan.

If those arriving were prevented from travelling to Bethlehem, this was to prove to the world that there is an Israeli siege of the West Bank, as well as Gaza.

Many activists were not even allowed to board their flights after the Israeli government instructed airlines to refuse them permission to fly to Israel. Over 120 people were able to make it to Ben Gurion Airport, but were stopped, arrested and detained before they were able to clear Israeli immigration - all because they refused to lie when asked about the purpose of their visit.

To set the scene, here’s a report from The Real News:

Among those taken to Givon Prison in Ramla were twelve UK activists who were prevented from travelling to Bethlehem. Givon, a high-security facility for foreigners, illegal immigrants and internationals, described as ‘a five-star prison in the Israeli gulag’ is a far cry from other Israeli prisons where the conditions are much worse and Palestinian prisoners are routinely tortured. 

The July 11th edition of ITV’s Wales Tonight programme featured this report of four Welsh women who were at the time all being detained by Israeli authorities:

On the morning of Monday July 11th, I received a message asking if I could be at London’s Luton Airport (which is actually in Bedfordshire) to meet two flytilla deportees who were on the 23.55 EasyJet flight from Tel Aviv.

Only two deportees?

At first I wondered if the Israelis deported only two because there weren’t enough seats on the flight. After all, this was the high season. Then it occurred to me that perhaps the Israeli Government might be purposely releasing the deportees in drips and drabs to minimise any media coverage or interest in their return. A more sinister motive may have been to use their release as a psychological weapon, purposely keeping the prisoners in the dark about when they would be deported.

Later I learned that there were well over twenty empty seats on that flight,  so I’ll let you draw your own conclusions as to why only two activists arrived on  Monday night.

In the next video, one of the flytilla detainees, Mick Napier, Chair of Scottish PSC, describes the conditions in which the prisoners were held, coupled with some covertly filmed images. It is interesting to note that the detainees were never informed by Israel under what legislation they were being incarcerated and deported. You’ll also hear that some of the detainees were brought before a so-called “tribunal” whose presiding official could barely understand English:

The welcoming party who turned up at Luton Airport at about 23.30 on Monday July 11th, included London BDS, Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods (J-BIG) as well as several members of the Luton’s Green Party who turned up every night to welcome all the flytilla returnees.

The first two UK detainees to arrive turned out to be Mick Napier and 83 year-old John Lynes, a retired academic (and a signatory of JfJfP), who were described as  terrorists and hooligans by Israeli authorities.

The media, including the BBC, Three Counties Radio and PressTV were also in attendance and waiting in the arrivals area to interview them.

A few of Monday's welcoming party. The sign says: "PEACE HAS NO PLACE BEHIND BARS."

John Lynes and Mick Napier.

J-BIG was also there.

Surprisingly, Luton Airport authorities refused requests to film inside the airport and as a result, all the following interviews with Mick and John took place inside the nearby Holiday Inn:

Some of Tuesday’s welcoming party.

On Tuesday  July 12th, more detainees were deported by Israel which meant another welcoming party. While waiting for the deportees to clear UK customs and immigration, our waiting group received many kind words (as well as one or two dirty looks) from arriving passengers on the Tel Aviv flight who spotted our huge Palestinian flag -  including several EasyJet flight attendants, one of who said as she passed: “We took very good care of them!”

Overall, the passengers and visitors who came over to chat were quite supportive and a few even stayed to greet the flytilla returnees. One returning passenger who wasn’t one of the deportees, thanked us for coming at this late hour to meet them.

As they came into the arrivals area, the deportees were very easy to spot. As shown below, many were still wearing their white prison garb on which they had written, Hooligan Prisoner! Guest of Immigrant Hotel, Prisoner of Israeli Democracy and Prisoner for Palestine. 

The second group of flytilla heroes who arrived on Tuesday July 12th.

Among the returnees were two Americans who flew to Tel Aviv via London. One of them, New Yorker Laura Durkay, wrote an interesting account that you can read here.

The next video includes interviews with some of the flytilla deportees talking about their experiences filmed by a few members of ISM London who also thoughtfully brought along refreshments, making it a true celebratory return.

Another returning flytilla detainee who arrived Tuesday night was Anne Gray, a member of the Green Party in Haringey (a borough in north London). Here’s a link to Anne’s blog in which she describes her experiences.

J-BIG’s Les Levidow, who was also on the same flight, wrote his observations that you can read here.  

Even though the Israeli authorities wiped their SD and memory cards clean, the detainees used a hidden video camera to film the conditions inside Givon Prison.

Filmed using a hidden camera, this photo shows how some of the prisoners decorated their cell. Image courtesy of Swansea Action for Palestine.

The women who were detained managed to smuggle out a visual record of their experiences. According to Swansea Action for Palestine, the video will form part of a documentary that will tell their story of their attempt to break the Israeli siege of the West Bank (see update, below).

On Wednesday July 13th, Fiona Williams, Joyce Giblin and Pippa Bartolotti, the Deputy Leader of the Welsh Green Party, were deported from Israel and arrived at Luton later that night. Unfortunately the UK coordinators were not notified until early in the morning on Thursday July 14th, too late to arrange any official welcome.

Here’s another ITV Wales Tonight report from July 14th. By this time, only one British detainee remained inside Israel.

The last detainee, D Murphy of Swansea arrived on the 23.55 EasyJet flight on Thursday July 14th. Meeting her along with several ex-detainees, were members of Luton’s Green Party and London BDS.

D Murphy (centre). Her T-shirt reads: "I WAS IN AN ISRAELI PRISON FOR REFUSING TO LIE!"

What happened to the flytilla activists wishing to peacefully travel to Bethlehem proved beyond a doubt that Israel’s siege of the West Bank is no myth and many flytilla detainees vowed one day to return.

UPDATE: 3 August 2011

Swansea Action for Palestine and Undercurrents recently released a ten-minute video documenting the flytilla detainees experiences.

“13 British people were stopped at Tel Aviv airport in July 2011. Five hours later they and 120 other people were in a high security prison in Israel. One woman managed to smuggle out this hidden recorded video of their six nights locked up in the high security prison in Israel. The video clips shows how the women were forced to scrub the prison floors in exchange for coffee. Life inside the hot cells and tense interactions with the Israeli guards were all captured.”


A Visit to the Royal Courts of Justice and Regent’s Park Mosque

Report by Hilary/Photos by Tapash

On Friday 15 July at 10am, about fifty people assembled outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand in a demonstration organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) to protest against the imprisonment of Palestinian political leader, Sheikh Raed Salah who had been held in custody since June 28th.

Sheikh Salah, a leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel and a well-known human rights campaigner, arrived in the UK on June 25th to speak at several public meetings, including one in Parliament.

Even before his flight landed at London’s Heathrow Airport, Sheikh Salah was the subject of a smear campaign in advance of his well-publicised visit, initiated by several reactionary pro-Zionist rags including the right-wing Daily Mail and JCrap (The Jewish Chronicle) who attempted, without success, to cancel public meetings where Sheikh Salah was scheduled to speak.

Later, media reports surfaced that Sheikh Salah had been banned from entering the country on the grounds of “unreasonable behaviour” despite him issuing a statement prior to his trip condemning all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and discrimination against his own people, the Palestinians.

After being arrested in his hotel room on June 28th, Sheikh Salah was kept in custody pending deportation and was denied bail after being subject to a controversial exclusion order by the Home Secretary.

On Friday July 15th, a High Court judge was due to hear his appeal and request for bail…

the BOYCOTT ISRAELI DATES mosque TOUR: REGENT’S PARK MOSQUE

Regent's Park Mosque

Later at the Regent’s Park Mosque, also known as the London Central Mosque & Islamic Cultural Centre - one of the largest Mosques in the UK - campaigners distributed flyers to hundreds of worshippers after Friday prayers informing them about the Boycott Israeli Dates Campaign.

Activists went all out to keep up with the demand for information and entered into many productive discussions with people who wanted to know more about the campaign to boycott Israeli goods.

Afterwards, everyone adjourned to a nearby lakeside cafe in Regent’s Park for refreshments as guests of an appreciative member of the Mosque. It was there news was received that Sheikh Salah’s appeal had been successful and that he was now free on bail.

Please take a few moments to visit this page that the PSC has created to learn more and find out what you can do to ensure justice for Sheikh Salah.

More coverage of the Sheikh Raed Salah case can be found in The Independent and The Guardian.

Rain or Shine, We Are With You Palestine!

The police are doing an excellent job - of discouraging business. "Selling stolen goods, it's an open & shut case boys!"

Thanks to Seymour for the video

By Isvestia

Saturday 16 July

Despite widespread disruptions to tube trains and heavy rain, twenty campaigners for Palestinian rights gathered to protest outside (Israeli
cosmetics firm) Ahava’s London store.

The regular protests and engagement with passers-by in all-weather, over the last two years, have publicised Ahava’s sale of products from an illegal Israeli Settlement and its attempt to hide this by using the label  ‘Made in Israel.’  As a result of the protests, Ahava’s landlord announced earlier this year that the store’s lease will not be renewed from September; but Boycott campaigners have determined to keep up the protests until Ahava actually leaves.

The Zionist Federation was also there on Saturday but with only three unhappy and wet individuals who spent most of the time goading and baiting Palestinian rights campaigners. As time went on and they got wetter, the Zionists became noticeably more unpleasant.

Palestinian rights campaigners engaged with passers-by about the case for boycott of Ahava and loudly chanted ‘Free Palestine’ in unison. A compliment came from an unlikely source; one of the police officers standing outside Ahava remarked to one of the Palestinian rights campaigners that he admired their dedication in continuing to campaign in the pouring rain.

At the scheduled time, campaigners retired to a nearby coffee shop
to plan future London BDS actions with one thought in mind inspired by
Palestinian society:

THE RESISTANCE MUST BE CONTINUOUS!

 

Human rights activists are on the left & the Zionist is on the right - geographically, as well as politically!

 

 

Boycott Israeli Dates Mosque Tour: Whitechapel

Report by Skye/Photos by Tapash

Friday, 8 July

London BDS activists were outside the East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel – an area rich in culture and vibes – promoting the ‘Boycott Israeli Dates’ Campaign.

The campaign asks consumers to ‘check the label’ and boycott dates that are grown in Israel and its illegal settlements in the West Bank. These dates include the brands Hadiklaim, Carmel Agrexco, King Solomon Dates, Jordan River and Jordan Plains.

Campaigners spoke to the public, distributed over 2,500 flyers and brought the message home that by purchasing Israeli dates, consumers indirectly support an oppressive Apartheid government. In addition, Palestinian workers, including child labour, are exploited and forced to work in oppressive and dangerous conditions on Israeli date farms.

Many local shop and business owners also showed solidarity by displaying flyers in prominent areas and asked for more to distribute to friends and family. One owner even left his shop and joined campaigners on the street, helping to  encourage consumers to ‘check the label.’

Carole Swords, Chair of Tower Hamlets RESPECT, said “the overwhelming majority of people were eager to find out how they could further support the dates campaign”.

If the day is anything to go by, then Whitechapel is soon to be an Israeli date-free zone.

Campaigners also visited Slough’s Stoke Poges Lane Mosque where they distributed over 500 flyers and reported a warm response, support from the congregation and significant interest in the campaign.

The Boycott Israeli Dates Campaign is supported by Innovative Minds, Palestinian Return Centre, Muslim Association of Great Britain, the Islamic Human Rights Commission, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Zaytoun and Friends of Al Aqsa.

If you would like to join the Boycott Israeli Dates London Mosque Tour, please contact us using the contact form or email: ahavaboycott [at] gmail [dot] com.

For more information about the Boycott Israeli Dates Campaign, please visit:

Innovative Minds

Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign

Check the Label

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The Next Boycott Israeli Dates Mosque Tour is Friday 15 July, 1-3pm. Meet outside Regent’s Park Mosque (London Central Mosque), 146 Park Road, London NW8 7RG

Don’t Break Your Fast With Israeli Dates Campaign – 2011 London Mosque Tour

Campaigners outside Feltham Mosque.

The build-up to persuade and remind Muslims to boycott Israeli and settlement dates has started well in advance of Ramadan. Dates are traditionally used to break the fast and sales of dates in the UK increase enormously during this period.

Israel produces huge quantities of Medjoul dates which are grown in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Jordan Valley. Buying these dates will mean that consumers are indirectly supporting the theft of Palestinian land and the oppression of Palestinians.

In the run up to Ramadan which falls on August 1st, we are taking this message to as many local Mosques as possible.

So far, we’ve visited London Central Mosque, West Ealing Islamic Centre, Manor Park Shajalal Mosque, East Ham Mosque and Leyton Mosque.

If you’d like to be involved in this campaign, please email us using our contact form or join us this Friday, 8 July between 1:00 – 3:00pm outside East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre, 46 – 92 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1JQ.

Here are two short reports from Mosques previously visited:

Friday 1 July 2011 – Feltham Mosque. Middlesex TW14

Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) members gathered outside Feltham Mosque to talk with worshippers about boycotting Israeli and settlement dates, bringing along a large, eye-catching ‘Disappearing Palestine’ banner.

As a result campaigners had a steady stream of people who came to have a closer look at the banner – which shows that only 12% of historic Palestine remains; the remainder having been stolen by Israel and its illegal settlements.

Campaigners enjoyed an enthusiastic reception from worshippers; almost
everyone took  a flyer and many stopped to give warm words of support for the Don’t Break Your Fast With Israeli Dates Campaign.

Many people said that they always ‘check the label’ before buying and boycott Israeli and West Bank settlement produce. In the space of only about 30 minutes over 1,000 flyers were handed out, with some asking for small bundles to further distribute to their family and friends.

One worshipper presented campaigners with two large freshly baked
Algerian breads as a token of his support for their presence. After thanking him
profusely, everyone shared and ate the bread – but only after the leafleting
finished!

Friday 24 June 2011 – Acton Mosque. London W3

Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) members distributed flyers and spoke to worshippers leaving Acton Mosque in West London. The attractive colour flyers were produced jointly by Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Friends of Al Aqsa and the Palestinian produce company Zaytoun.

The flyers show which brands (together with their logos) to avoid and encourages people to buy Palestinian dates. Campaigners were met with an enthusiastic response; outstretched hands sought flyers and people were eager to read them.

About four out of every five people took leaflets – young and old alike – and within thirty minutes over 1,000 flyers were distributed. Many people confirmed they already boycott Israeli dates and most were very supportive of the campaign.

Boxes of chicken biryani were distributed to worshippers by the Mosque and campaigners too were also offered food and drink as a token of thanks and appreciation.

Israel Property Exhibition – A Deserted Flop

Report by Isvestia

Sunday 26 June 2011

On one of the hottest days of the summer, human rights campaigners assembled outside the Israel Property & Investment Exhibition at the up-market Regents Park Marriott Hotel near Swiss Cottage in North West London.

Inside, Israeli property companies had hired space to entice the public to buy real estate. Outside, Palestinian rights campaigners, along with the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN), created a highly visual display with flags, placards, signs and banners which had a simple message: ‘Stop Stealing Palestinian Land.’

Campaigners spoke to and handed out a variety of literature to visitors, hotel guests and the general public informing them about Israeli Apartheid, illegal settlements and the theft of Palestinian land.

Within a short time, one thing became obvious: There were very few - if any -people interested in buying real estate in Israel!

Over the two hours leading up to the keynote address by the exhibition’s organisers, Palestinian rights campaigners counted and observed no more than a small handful of people going into the exhibition; and those that did could not but help notice the human rights campaigners outside the hotel.

An activist who gained admission to the property exhibition, spoke to exhibitors, as well as collected brochures and reported back that they were the only person present.

Orthodox economists are fond of saying you cannot buck the market; if that’s true, then the Israel Property Exhibition gives us an indication of what the market is thinking: People do not believe that buying property in Israel is a safe investment for the future.

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Ahava, TESCO & Greek Embassy Protests, July 2nd

Thanks to Seymour for the video

Reports & photos compiled by Foreign Correspondent

Saturday 2 July 2011

During the latest of the fortnightly protests as part of the ongoing campaign against Ahava, around twenty human rights campaigners picketed the shop, dubbed “London’s largest purveyor of illegal settlement goods,” leafleted and spoke to countless people passing through London’s busy Monmouth Street, educating them about the company’s complicity in Israel’s human rights abuses and violations of both international and UK laws.

The day was made all the more successful by music played by our saxophonist and by the sunny and mild weather which brought people out in droves.

Campaigners on Monmouth Street.

These actions are part of the international  Stolen Beauty campaign against Ahava which was launched in July 2009 by the American women’s peace group CODEPINK. Similar actions have taken place throughout America, Canada, The Czech Republic, South Africa, France, The Netherlands and Tel Aviv, making the boycott movement against this poisonous company truly international.

The case against Ahava is a strong one:

  • Ahava plunders natural resources from stolen land in violation of the 4th Geneva Convention and other international laws.
  • Ahava is in breach of the EU-Israel Trade Agreement by falsely claiming its products are made in Israel when in fact they are manufactured in a factory located in Mitzpe Shalem, an illegal Israeli settlement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The mud that is a key ingredient in the majority of Ahava’s products is plundered from another illegal settlement; Kalya, north of Mitzpe Shalem. By falsely claiming their products come from Israel, Ahava avoids paying the full tariff and thus they are guilty of tax evasion, cheating the UK government out of much-needed revenue.
  • Ahava violates the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 by misleading consumers over the origin of their products, giving the impression that they were manufactured within Israel as opposed to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
  • Ahava products rate high in toxicity, thus posing a potential health risk to the public.

Human rights campaigners outside the Ahava shop. Two Zionists are on the left.

Today there was no private security guard outside of Ahava, he being replaced by the five police constables who were present, some positioned directly in front of the shop – thus doing an excellent job of deterring business!

One Zionist, waving an Israeli flag ignorantly shouted out: “Jews are the worst anti-Semites,” unaware of what he was saying or how odd it must have appeared to passersby.

Maybe what he meant was “Zionists are the worst anti-Semites,” as Zionism is totally alien to Judiasm and the many crimes of Zionism are often committed, quite wrongly, in the name of all Jewish people.

Zionist: "Jews are the worst anti-Semites."

In March it was announced that Ahava’s landlord will not be renewing its lease which will expire in September due to the demonstrations that have been taking place since late 2009. The regular protests as well as the several occupations that resulted in the shop’s temporary closure in addition to other direct actions and legal challenges have all played a part in the success of this campaign. Activists however have vowed to continue their fortnightly presence until Ahava no longer has any presence on Monmouth Street.

No photo of the ZF's Jonathan Hoffman is complete without at least one police constable in it.

From the very beginning, the Zionist Federation (ZF) organised counter-protests have always lacked public and moral support, as well as people. To boost numbers, the ZF has relied on Christian Zionists from Wales with the result that there are often more Welsh flags displayed than Israeli ones. The few Zionists present today – including the Welsh Christians – were mostly ignored by the public and the lack of interest forced them to revert to their old tactic of thrusting their flyers at passersby.

Roberta Moore, ex-leader of the EDL's so-called 'Jewish Division'.

Last week, news broke that far-right EDL ‘Jewish Division’ leader and Ahava supporter Roberta Moore has resigned from the EDL. For a few weeks during the summer and autumn of 2010, Kahanist Moore, along with her fellow Islamophobic dregs, staged a regular presence outside Ahava alongside the ZF counter-protest. Moore is famous for having been photographed together with Jonathan Hoffman, Co Vice-Chair of the ZF outside Ahava. Hoffman later had to issue a public apology to the photographer for claiming it was Photoshopped.

Good riddance Roberta. You won’t be missed.

After distributing over two hundred flyers, campaigners staged a parade to the nearby TESCO supermarket singing chants, waving large Palestinian flags and carrying a banner which attracted the attention of hundreds of people – many of who applauded and gave the thumbs up sign. Outside the supermarket, campaigners including the ‘BDS Orange,’ spoke to and distributed flyers to customers about the illegal settlement goods on sale inside TESCO which is the largest supermarket chain in the UK.

The goal of the ‘Every little helps APARTHEID’ campaign is to educate consumers as to why they should “check the label” and boycott produce labelled ISRAEL and WEST BANK.

In front of the Greek embassy.

Later that day across town, about forty people gathered outside the Greek Embassy to express their outrage that Greek authorities, under economic pressure from America and Israel prevented the Gaza Freedom Flotilla II named ‘Stay Human’ from departing, breaking the Israeli blockade of Gaza and bringing in much-needed supplies to a people deprived of their freedom.

Among those present at the emergency protest, organised in under twelve hours were Sarah Colborne, Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Glyn Secker, captain of the Jewish Boat to Gaza and member of Jews for Justice for Palestinians (JfJfP).

Demonstrators managed to speak to a member of the embassy staff who was hostile to any accusations made against the Greek government and soon after, armed police forced peaceful protesters off the Embassy grounds.

Here are some additional images:

Outside the Greek embassy.

At the Greek Embassy.