Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
PSNA is celebrating what PSNA National Chair John Minto describes as a “marvellous victory” for BDS campaigning to isolate apartheid Israel.
The Obela Hummus brand has now been sold by Israel’s Strauss Group to Pepsico in a deal announced this week because of “declining market share” for the Obela/Sabra brands.
Previously the brand was 50% owned by Israel’s largest food company, Strauss Group, which is known for its direct support of the Israeli military, namely the elite Golani and Givati infantry brigades, for whom they provide “care packages” as these Israeli troops conduct a genocide in Gaza and Lebanon.
Around New Zealand and around the world Obela/Sabra products have been targeted in a relentless boycott campaign which has helped drop the product’s market share dramatically. For example:
“Sabra’s average hummus market share in the US in the quarter ended June 30 stood at 36.6% compared with 38.5% in the corresponding period last year, and is down from the more than 60% enjoyed in the beginning of 2021”
“Aotearoa New Zealand can claim a significant role in this victory through a nationwide consumer campaign to target Obela through 2024”
“Not only have supermarkets faced protests outside their stores across the country but direct consumer action has targeted the product itself” says John Minto.
“Letters of complaint have gone to the supermarket chains and individual supermarkets; Obela and copperpot products have been stickered from Bluff to the far north; they have been “relocated” inside the stores into supermarket freezers, behind the toilet paper or amongst the petfood.”
“Obela has been removed from the shelves of many supermarkets under intense pressure from activists”
“The power of boycotts is real and effective” says Minto, “and we have taken a creative, disruptive, approach in this campaign which has been hugely effective”
“People power is the winner here and this is doubly important because of the shameful failure of our government to do anything significant to stop the first live-streamed genocide in human history” said Minto. “New Zealanders are standing up while our government cowers to the US/Israel”
With Obela Hummus under our belt PSNA will now develop specific campaign to target the other five boycott priorities we are taking on.
- Ahava
- Sodastream
- HP (Hewlett Packard)
- BP and Caltex
- McDonald’s
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.
