On the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, eight years ago, Canada Palestine Association-Vancouver and other endorsing groups called for a boycott of Israeli wines in BC liquor stores.
This year, on the 68th anniversary, with BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) making great strides globally, BC liquor stores are regrettably still stuck in the past. In fact, not only are they still carrying wines from the occupied Golan Heights, but they have added several others sourced from the occupied West Bank, specifically the illegal Gush Etzion settlement bloc around Jerusalem. One in particular is called Efrat Judean Hills Kosher and is produced by the Teperberg Winery. This brand declares openly on its website that “Teperberg’s vineyards are spread around several growing regions in the Judean Hills, Upper Galilee, Gush Etzion….” More information on this winery and other Israeli wineries can be found in the exhaustive study done by Who Profits entitled Forbidden Fruit: Israeli Wine Industry and Occupation.
We are relaunching the Boycott Israeli Wines, Don’t Drink with Apartheid campaign; and we encourage everyone to let your local liquor store know that supporting occupation and Israeli war crimes is unethical. You can also sign our petition to the BC Liquor Board CEO.
Watch the video of our August 6 picket in Vancouver:
For more information, visit the campaign Facebook page, where you can also see the September 23 picket at picket at the BC Liquor Board Head Office.