Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign Press Release

Don't Flirt with the Occupation

Boycott Campaigners to picket Israeli Company importing Valentine's Day Flowers

Saturday 10 February Carmel, Swallowfield Way, Hayes, Middlesex at 1pm

Contact  boycott@palestinecampaign.org for interviews/pictures
Tel 020 7700 6192 / 07845 039 980
www.bigcampaign.org


The Boycott Israeli Goods campaign is planning a mass picket of the depot
(see map) on Saturday February 10th at 1pm in opposition to the sale of
Israeli goods and in support of Palestinian farmers who are not able to
market their goods internationally

The aim is to draw attention to this company's sale of flowers from
occupied Palestinian land on Valentines day. We are asking the British
public not to buy blood stained flowers for their loved ones this year.

Carmel Agrexco is the largest importer of illegal settlement goods into
the UK. The Valentines day period is one of their busiest as the company
deals with large amounts of fresh flowers from Israel and the settlements.
In the UK Agrexco is known under the Carmel, Coral and Jaffa brands. The
UK is the most important foreign market for Israeli fresh produce. Agrexco
exports a wide range of produce to the UK including peppers, tomatoes,
strawberries, herbs, spices, flowers and avocadoes.

Agrexco is the largest exporter of settlement produce for sale overseas.
Much of this produce comes from colonies in the Jordan Valley. Carmel
Agrexco have had dealings with the colonies of Tomer, Mehola, Hamra, Ro'i,
Massua, Patzael, Mekhora, Netiv Ha-Gdud and Bet Ha-Arava.

Previously there have been three blockades of this company stopping work
at the factory. The company persistently refuses to press charges against
the activists because they are scared of having to prove the legality of
their business in open court.

This follows from actions of 11th November 2004, when Palestine-Solidarity
protesters from London and Brighton were arrested after taking part in
non-violent blockades outside the same company and 30 August 2006, when
demonstrators blockaded the company for 11 hours and no arrests were made.

In September 2005, a Judge ruled that Agrexco (UK) must prove that their
business is lawful. The acquittal of the seven activists before they were
able to present their defence meant that the court did not have to rule on
the legality of Agrexco-Carmel's involvement in the supply of produce from
illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

In September 2006 protesters blockaded the company again, Carmel refused
to have demonstrators arrested because this would have lead to another
embarrassing court appearance where their business methods would have been
investigated by a British court of law.

The valentine's day picket aims to expose this company's complicity in
murder, theft and damage of occupied land, collective punishment,
apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and other breaches of International Law to
public scrutiny.

Links:

Photos of the last blockade of Carmel Agrexco
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/11/357149.html?c=on

Photos of the second blockade
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/349440.html

Text of letter sent to Carmel Agrexco by Palestine Solidarity Campaign
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2006/08/347361.html

Report on Carmel's Involvement in the Jordan Valley:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/09/322537.html

Press release from previous trial (with links):
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/01/331851.html

War on Want's Report -"Profiting from the Occupation":
 http://www.waronwant.org/?lid=12671

Notes to Editors:

1. For comments please call 07845 039 980

2. On 9th June 2005 a coalition of Palestinian Civil Society Organisations
issued a 'Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel until
it complies with International Law'.
See  http://www.stopthewall.org/downloads/pdf/BDSEnglish.pdf for the full
statement and signatories.

3. Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights in 1967 in
contravention of international law.

Since then Israel has moved over 380,000 settlers into these occupied
territories in contravention of the Fourth Geneva Convention (article 49),
the Hague Regulations and United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

Israel continues to build an illegal apartheid wall inside the West Bank
despite the Advisory Ruling of the International Court of Justice in 2005
that the wall is illegal. Fifty five illegal Israeli settlements will be
on the Israeli side of the wall separated from the West Bank.

Since 2000 Israel has demolished 628 Palestinian houses, home to 3, 983
people, in acts of collective punishment. These demolitions constitute a
war crime. (Above statistics confirmed by Israeli Information Centre
Btselem see www.btselem.org )

3, 808 Palestinians have been killed as a direct result of Israeli
military actions and 29, 456 injured during the current upraising which
began in September 2000.

Contact  boycott@palestinecampaign.org for interviews/pictures

Tel 02077006192/07845039980
www.bigcampaign.org