Open letter asks Continente to remove Israeli products from shelves

“The marketing of Israeli products is a form of economic cooperation with a State that carries out actions recognised as serious violations of human rights and international law, including the crime of genocide”, reads the open letter to which VISÃO had access and which is addressed directly to Sonae, the group that owns Continente brand stores, calling for a boycott of anything coming from Israel as a form of pressure to stop the occupation of Palestinian territory and the massacre of the population in Gaza.

The document already has the support of around three dozen groups, including SOS Racismo, the Committee for Solidarity with Palestine and Kilombo – Anti-Racist Intervention Platform.

“We call on Sonae MC to exercise leadership and social responsibility, promoting an economy free from human rights violations in line with the values ​​shared by consumers, civil society organizations and principles of international law,” the signatories write, explaining that in other European countries some large retail chains are already implementing a boycott of Israel as part of a civil liability policy.

These are the cases of Coop Allianz 3.0, the largest Italian supermarket chain, and the Co-op group in the United Kingdom, a chain with 2,300 stores, which have stopped selling Israeli products.

“By selling Israeli products in Modelo/Continente stores, Sonae MC maintains commercial relationships that, directly or indirectly, support economic structures that sustain the occupation of Palestine and the humanitarian siege in Gaza. This practice represents a major failure to align with the principles of social responsibility and ethical supervision of the supply chain,” argue the petitioners, denouncing what is happening in the territories occupied by Israel.

In Gaza, there are 470,000 people in a situation of “catastrophic famine”

“Some 470,000 people in Gaza are facing a ‘catastrophic famine’ scenario, putting more than 60,000 children at risk of imminent death due to lack of essential medical care. The UN has reported that 116,000 tons of food assistance, enough to feed 1 million people for four months, are ready for delivery through so-called aid corridors. However, since March 2, Israel has systematically blocked the entry of these goods, including medicines, prosthetics, crutches and other medical supplies. In addition, there are documented episodes of civilians, including children, being shot while trying to obtain food,” they describe.

The open letter even recalls that these actions “have been widely classified as serious violations of international humanitarian law and as elements capable of constituting evidence of war crimes and genocide”.