No Appetite for Apartheid in CU

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This page contains extensive information on the BDS movement. We encourage you to browse through it all and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at CU MAC.

On this page you will find:

If you’re a store owner, manager, or purchasing director, please visit our Apartheid Free Store Pledge page to learn more, ask questions, and sign the pledge.

BOYCOTT . DIVESTMENT . SANCTIONS

Boycott Divestment Sanctions or BDS is a call from inside Palestine to the rest of the world:

“We, representatives of Palestinian civil society, call upon international civil society organizations and people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era. We appeal to you to pressure your respective states to impose embargoes and sanctions against Israel. We also invite conscientious Israelis to support this Call, for the sake of justice and genuine peace.

These non-violent punitive measures should be maintained until Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and fully complies with the precepts of international law by:

Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall
Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
Respecting, protecting, and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.

What is Boycotting?

Boycotting is the act of refusing to buy, use, or participate in something—like a product, service, company, or country—as a form of protest.

Why is boycotting for Palestine important?

As the saying goes, ‘money talks’—and by withdrawing financial support from Israeli companies and businesses or those that have ties to/ have shown support for Israel, the average consumer sends a crucial message: “My money will not go to companies that support the apartheid state of Israel as they occupy Palestine, kill Palestinians and steal their resources.” Boycotting compels those in power to respond and change their behavior as they are losing profit.

Why a food boycott?

Food boycotts in particular have proven to be one of the most effective, non-violent forms of resistance used throughout history that anyone can participate in to apply economic pressure on companies, businesses, and governments complicit in injustice. For example, “bread boycotts” led by American women affected food pricing throughout the Great Depression.

BDS National Committee

The Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) is the broadest Palestinian civil society coalition that works to lead and support the BDS movement for Palestinian rights.

The BNC’s mandate and role is:

To strengthen and spread the culture of boycott as a central form of civil resistance to Israeli occupation, colonialism, and apartheid
To formulate strategies and programs of action in accordance with the 9 July 2005 Palestinian Civil Society BDS Call
To serve as the Palestinian reference point for BDS campaigns in the region and worldwide
To serve as the national reference point for anti-normalization campaigns within Palestine
To facilitate coordination and provide support & encouragement to the various BDS campaign efforts in all locations

The BNC has offices in various parts of Palestine, a small staff spread across five countries, and a network of international partners. Learn more on BNC activities and members: About BNC.

No Appetite for Apartheid in CU campaign prioritizes BNC boycott targets as listed below.

BDS Targets

There are countless corporations and businesses directly and indirectly connected to Israel’s unlawful occupation, racial segregation, and apartheid regime. Many of your favorite products are likely connected to Israel in one way or another, some marginally and others directly. If that sounds overwhelming, you are not alone.

For this reason, the BNC chooses the historically successful method of targeted boycotts. Targets are chosen based on selected criteria and campaigns are assessed regularly. Learn more on how BDS targets are chosen: Guide to BDS.

The current BDS targets are:

Priority Targets

Chevron
Intel
DELL
Siemens
Hewlett Packard (HP)
Carrefour
AXA
Disney+
SodaStream
RE/MAX
Israeli produce and other items

Pressure Targets

Google
Amazon
Booking
Airbnb
Expedia
Teva Pharmaceuticals

Grassroots/Organic Targets

McDonald’s
Coca Cola
Burger King
Papa John’s
Pizza Hut
WIX

Priority and grassroots/organic targets are consumer targets. This means it is focused on individual consumers no longer purchasing from these corporations and their products. The difference between the two is that the priority targets are decided on by the BDS National Committee whereas the grassroots/organic targets were started by consumers across the globe in response to the ongoing genocide of Gaza and are supported by the BDS National Committee as important targets.

To learn more on how the above corporations are connected to Israel’s war crimes, read the guide from the BDS National Committee: Guide to BDS Boycott & Pressure Corporate Priority Targeting.

Remember boycotts are not all or nothing!
Buying less from a corporation is also boycotting.

No Appetite for Apartheid

As individual consumers we buy food regularly so avoiding Israeli produce and other Israeli food products (along with the organic food targets above) is where we can be most impactful.

This includes boycotting:

McDonald’s*
Burger King*
Papa John’s*
Pizza Hut*
Coca Cola
Israeli produce and other food items
- Israeli agricultural products like oranges, figs, grapes, and peppers
- Israeli dates
- Israeli wines
- Culturally appropriative and pro-occupation brands like Sadaf, Sabra, and Osem.

*McDonald’s, Burger King, Papa John’s, and Pizza hut are grassroots/organic targets supported by the BNC.

The first four are pretty straight forward but boycotting Coca Cola and Israeli products can be more complicated. Coca Cola owns many smaller brands like Fair Life and Costa Coffee. Most of these brands will list Coca Cola on their label. The full list can be found here.

To navigate avoiding Israeli produce and other food items, see our tips below.

How to Boycott

When shopping for produce, check if the food item was imported from Israel:

🏷️ Check the Label or Sticker

Most fruits and vegetables have small stickers or tags that say “Product of “Israel” or “Grown in Israel”

📦 Look at the Packaging

Packaged produce (like herbs, berries, or salad mixes) often lists the country of origin near the nutrition facts or barcode area.

🧾 Check the Store Signage

Grocery stores (especially in the U.S.) are often required by law (via COOL: Country of Origin Labeling) to post the origin of fresh produce near the price tag or shelf label.

📲 Use a Barcode or PLU Scanner App

Apps like Yuka, Buycott, or HarvestMark can scan produce labels and sometimes tell you where it came from.

💬 Ask a Store Employee

Staff in the produce section can usually tell you the country of origin, especially for bulk or unpackaged items.

Israeli Produce

While reading all produce labels, watch out for these fruits and vegetables commonly imported from Israel.

Avocados
Carrots
Dates
Eggplants
Figs
Grapes
Grapefruits
Jaffa Oranges
Herbs (Basil, Chives, Dill, Lemon Balm, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Sage, Thyme, Za’atar)
Lemons
Pomegranates

Brands to boycott

Brand	Products	Where products are found
Sadaf	Rice varieties Grains Pasta Beans, lentils Nuts, seeds, dried fruits Baking essentials Oils, vinegars, condiments Soup mixes Dolma Hummus, baba ghanoush Pickles, olives, pickled vegetables Baklava Honey, jams Fruit leather Tea, coffee Frozen vegetables Herbs, spices Yogurt-based products	Often found in stores that carry Arab/Middle Eastern food
Sabra	Dips Hummus Guacamole	Chain grocery stores like Meijer, Schnuck’s, Walmart Jimmy John’s
Osem	Bamba snack Bissli chips Cakes Cookies Couscous Crackers Pasta Pudding Mix Soup mix	Chain grocery chains like Meijer, Target, Walmart

Restaurants to Boycott Locally

Cafe Sababa

-> Part of UIUC’s Illini Hillel, a foundation that openly supports Israel and has continuously justified the genocide in Gaza.

Naf Naf Grill

-> The founder is Israeli and the restaurant claims to be sharing “authentic Middle Eastern flavors”.

Apps to Use for Boycotting

Using scanner apps which will tell you if the product you scan/look up has ties to Israel, and some provide you with boycott safe alternatives. Please keep in mind that most apps will extend beyond the BNCs targeted list. We encourage you to make informed decisions regarding your purchases but please remember to start with the BNC’s targeted list.

Try downloading one of these apps:

Boycat Ethical Shopping (official BDS National Committee partner)
Boycott
Disoccupied (can be accessed on browser, explains why brands are on the boycott list and provides alternatives: McDonald’s, Burger King, Papa Johns, Coca Cola)
No Thanks

Apartheid Free Stores & Restaurants in CU

Section Coming Soon!

I'm Ready to Take the Pledge

I pledge not to buy Israeli products or products made by complicit companies. I will also prioritize shopping at local “apartheid free” zones (store guide coming soon).