BDS demands Tesco surrender to boycott pressure over Israeli produce

The petition, using language echoing BDS talking points, alleges staff should not be “forced” to earn wages by handling “blood-stained items.”

By Aaron Sull, Jewish Breaking News

Anti-Israel protesters are targeting Tesco after the retailer suspended a Northern Ireland employee who refused to handle Israeli products.

The worker at a Tesco store in County Down was taken off duty after declining to process Israeli goods, according to the anti-Israel BDS movement, which has launched a petition and staged protests demanding the company halt any disciplinary proceedings.

BDS activists accused Tesco of punishing the employee “for refusing to handle Israeli goods,” a claim quickly amplified by left-wing groups, including People Before Profit, and representatives from the unions Unison and Unite, who joined a demonstration outside the store on Monday.

More than 1,700 people have signed a petition urging Tesco to reverse the suspension.

The petition, using language echoing BDS talking points, alleges staff should not be “forced” to earn wages by handling “blood-stained items.”

Tesco has declined to comment, citing a policy of not discussing individual personnel matters.

The disturbing incident comes amid a wave of pressure campaigns targeting UK supermarkets over Israeli products.

In July, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign staged coordinated protests outside Sainsbury’s locations across Britain, accusing major grocers of selling too much Israeli produce.

Earlier this year, the Co-op went even further, announcing it would stop stocking Israeli-sourced products altogether, citing “human rights concerns.”

The move followed intense lobbying from activist members who demanded the chain show “moral courage” by pulling all Israeli items from shelves.

Prior to the announcement, Co-op’s policy had been to avoid goods produced in settlements in Judea and Samaria but still sell items originating from Israel proper.

Tesco, by contrast, maintains that it does not source products from Judea and Samaria and follows all UK government guidance on origin labeling.

Although UK imports of Israeli goods fell this year, £101 million in the first half of 2025 compared to £121 million during the same period in 2024, the BDS movement has continued pushing for bans on Israeli agricultural items such as tomatoes, carrots, and avocados.