International Call for Action Against Carmel-Agrexco

The Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign (www.bigcampaign.org) is issuing an
international call to action against Carmel-Agrexco during February 2009.

Carmel-Agrexco is the Israeli national exporter of fruit and vegetables and
imports large quantities of goods from illegal Israeli settlements on
occupied Palestinian land.

Israeli settlements and the military occupation make life impossible for
Palestinians living in the West Bank. Palestinians in the occupied Jordan
Valley, where the majority of Carmel Agrexco's settlement produce comes
from, are forced to live in tents and shacks due to building restrictions
imposed by the Israeli military authorities. Entire communities live under
threat of forced evictions and house demolitions as Israel confiscates more
and more lands to annex for the benefit of the settlements.

Palestinian farmers are unable to access local or international markets due
to Israeli restrictions on movement. Landless Palestinians are forced to
work for Carmel-Agrexco, who own packing houses on every major settlement in
the valley, receiving poverty wages and with no rights.

Carmel-Agrexco boast that they can put goods on European supermarket shelves
within ten hours and export over half theiir produce to the European market.
The Valentine's day period leading up to February 14th is one of Agrexco's
busiest times of year. Tonnes of cut flowers are exported to European
markets to be given as gifts on Valentine's Day. The Boycott Israeli Goods
Campaign is calling on campaigners across Europe to hold actions against the
company in the weeks preceding February 14th.

There is a growing campaign against Carmel-Agrexco in the UK. Since 2004
campaigners have been taking direct action against Agrexco's main packing
house in Hayes, Middlesex. In November 2004 seven campaigners blockaded the
depot, using metal fencing, for over eleven hours. The ensuing prosecution
of the blockaders failed after campaigners argued Agrexco were ancillary to
war crimes under the International Criminal Court Act 2001.

Since then dozens of blockades have occurred each year, Carmel's offices
have been trashed and their depot occupied. The company has not been willing
to take prosecutions against campaigners for fear of having their business
practices exposed in court.

Last year actions against Agrexco took place in the UK and Belgium on
Valentine's day.

This Valentine's Day the Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign is calling for
groups across Europe to join the movement to disrupt Agrexco imports into
Europe.

Specifically we are calling for demonstrations, blockades and direct action
at:
• Agrexco depots
• Stores selling Agrexco produce
• Premises of Agrexco Shareholders (in Sweden this could mean Apax, who own
51% of Tnuva, one of Agrexco's owners. They are located at Birger Jarlsg. 5
11145 Stockholm, Sweden
+46 8 545 074 00