Skip to content or view screen version

Ahava store in London occupied by activists for Palestine

anti - ahava | 11.01.2009 12:42 | Palestine | Birmingham | South Coast

Ahava dead sea beauty shop, selling illegal West Bank settlement produce, occupied by activists on Saturday January 10th 2009.

funding Israeli war crimes in Gaza
funding Israeli war crimes in Gaza

filth arrive
filth arrive

more filth
more filth

even more filth
even more filth


Yesterday activists occupied the Ahava cosmetics shop in central London, in protest against the Israeli government's deadly massacre of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and Ahava's own activities. Indeed, the Israeli-owned shop sells cosmetic products that have been manufactured on an illegal Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. Activists put up banners, locked themselves to the shop door and distributed informative leaflets to passers-by and local shops.

The shop was closed from 11am, and the police didn't managed to remove the activists from the shop until 4.30pm, they shop was forced to close for the duration of the action. Three activists were arrested and, as they refused to give their names to police, only to a judge, have skipped the police bail stage of the legal process and have already been charged with aggravated trespass.

The action aimed to draw public attention to Ahava's involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The West Bank is Palestinian territory which was occupied by the Israeli army at the end of the 1967 war. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank is still ongoing, and has involved the creation of Israeli settlements, which is a war crime under international law.

One of Ahava's main factories is located in the illegal Israeli settlement of Mitzpe Shalem. In consequence, the sale of Ahava products is illegal, and Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories is ancilliary (complicit) to war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law and British law according to section 52 of the International Criminal Court Act 2001.

Furthermore, the pattern and strategy of illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has been a racist and colonial one, intending to forcibly annex the greatest possible portion of Palestinian land without its indigenous population, and settle it with Israeli Jews. These illegal settlements linked by a road network that is forbidden to Palestinians have created Israeli-style apartheid, which is also a crime under international law.

The timing of this action was chosen to coincide with the day of national demonstrations against the ongoing Israeli government massacre of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Today is the 14th day since the beginning of the Israeli aggressive military campaign 'Operation Cast Lead' which as of yesterday had killed 804 Palestinians including 230 children and 93 women, and injured and maimed over 3310. Obviously tax Ahava pay in Israel proper funds the slaughter in Gaza.

anti - ahava

Additions

Contacting Ahava

13.01.2009 12:05

Just thought you might like to know that Ahava's website lists the following contact details
 http://ahava.co.uk

AHAVA UK
PO Box 275
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL51 4YT

By Telephone: 01452 864574; By Fax:01452 862580
By e-mail for AHAVA UK:  enquire@ahava.co.uk


Taylormade Beauty
Kingfisher Golf and Country Club
Buckingham Road
Nr. Deanshanger
Milton Keynes, Bucks
Tel: 0870 7436991

zee


Comments

Hide 1 hidden comment or hide all comments

Ha Ha Ahava

11.01.2009 13:21

What a great action, hopefully we will see similar things against other occupation supporting businesses.
Ahava's business is illegal and it I am sure it would put a smile on the majority of people's faces to see them closed down permanently.

Anonymous


Thanks for that!

11.01.2009 22:26

Great action and good timing. They've had it coming for a while...

T


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Just like the NAZI boycotts

14.01.2009 04:28

The despicable attack on AHAVA reminds me of the prewar pictures from Berlin of the NAZI boycotts against the Jews. But you are the modern NAZIS. This time we will defend ourselves against you medieval barbarians

jeff smith


Hide 1 hidden comment or hide all comments