Image Source: France24
World – As Israel’s genocide and forced starvation in the Gaza Strip rages on, a shift is beginning to take hold, even among its staunchest allies, whose support is now tinged with doubt.
In this changing tide, the call for ordinary people to boycott companies complicit in Israeli atrocities is growing louder and more urgent.
Dr. Faisal Suliman from SAMNET has added his voice to this movement, standing with Palestinian solidarity groups and civil society organisations calling on retailers to remove products linked to Israel from their shelves.
These include brands such as Clover, Coca-Cola, Cape Union Mart, and Global pharmaceutical products.
This renewed focus on retail resistance pushes the conversation beyond consumer responsibility. It places it firmly on the shoulders of store owners, distributors, and suppliers.
It acknowledges that challenging systemic injustice means disrupting the whole supply chain that enables it.
“They’ve gone to extraordinary lengths all over the world to try and get BDS banned, to try and undo the boycott movement. So why would they do that if they weren’t afraid? I think they understand the impact of a global boycott, and the dangers of it for Israel or for Zionism, even greater than we do,” he said.
Dr. Suliman urged retailers to act with integrity, reminding them that alternatives exist and that adjusting their stock is both possible and necessary. He explained that boycotting these products is not just about sales—it’s about building awareness.
When products are missing from our shelves or tables, it prompts questions. That moment of pause opens the door to meaningful conversations about justice, complicity, and the power of ordinary choices.
South African Activism Can Be Better
Reflecting on the broader picture, Dr. Suliman expressed concern over how distant South Africans have become from meaningful activism, especially when many Muslim-owned businesses still stock brands with ties to Israeli oppression.
He compared local passivity to the active resistance seen in countries like Ireland, where people take to the aisles, remove Israeli goods, and disrupt everyday shopping to make a political point. Here, he said, that same urgency is missing.
“We sometimes cry at the inaction of the Arab government, and inaction is an understatement for them, the betrayal of the Arab government. But at our level, we’re doing nothing.”
“The Zionists in this country send money, their children, they send medical aid, they do everything to support the genocide, the massacre, the starvation of people right now. And look at their lives. We’ve made no impact to make them feel uncomfortable,” he said.
Dr. Suliman questioned why the responsibility to act is so easily set aside. He noted that we often treat duā and donations as if they are enough—when real resistance demands more.
It calls for consistency, sacrifice, and the willingness to be uncomfortable. Instead, solidarity has been reduced to what fits neatly into our routines rather than what honestly confronts injustice.
