British Supermarket Chain: “Kosher Items Will Never Again Be Withheld”

According to an article in the Jewish Chronicle, British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has pledged to never again remove kosher products from its shelves. The statement was issued after Jewish customers had reacted with anger to the kosher food being hidden by the manager of a central London branch in anticipation of reprisals from anti-Israel activists.

At first, the company said it would not institute a national policy instructing managers on how to handle protesters. However, after being contacted by the Jewish Chronicle, Sainsbury’s altered its position and claimed it wanted to reassure its Jewish customers. “This will not happen again,” corporate affairs director Trevor Datsun stated. “Managers will be told not to move kosher food because of some perceived threat. It should not have happened and, explicitly, it cannot happen again.”

The supermarket chain, which operates 1,200 stores throughout England, had previously apologized after kosher items were removed from a refrigeration display in Holborn as a precaution against potential attack by anti-Israel protesters last Saturday. A spokeswoman said on Monday that the store’s manager had made an “error of judgment”. Other kosher items, though, such as meat and fish, were kept on sale elsewhere in the store. The spokeswoman suggested that recent violent incidents and demonstrations outside stores had contributed to the manager’s concern and consequent action.

Staff members from the Board of Deputies put on a “buycott” outside Sainsbury’s on Monday, encouraging shoppers to purchase more Israeli goods. Conservative members of the British Parliament condemned Sainsbury’s actions, and MP David Burrowes said, “How was the threat to the kosher food linked to the nearby protest about Israel?” MP Andrew Percy commented, “Sainsbury’s should never have given in to thugs and bullies… It is a very sad day for Sainsbury’s and for the UK.”

In a  major disturbance by an anti-Israel group at a Tesco store in Birmingham on Saturday – which resulted in the arrest of one man – protesters who were yelling and waving Palestinian flags entered the store and violently threw products around, threatening staff and customers before clashing with police. “The demonstration took place mainly outside the store. There was some minimal damage to a few goods inside,” maintained a Tesco spokesman. “Police were on the scene and the store reopened after just a few minutes.”

The Labour Party — whose leader Ed Miliband has repeatedly expressed his opposition to boycotts targeting Israel — said it had spoken to MP Shabana Mahmood,  who had joined a demonstration outside a Sainsbury’s store three weeks ago, and it would not take action against her. Mahmood had been filmed celebrating the store’s temporary closure and calling for more action of the same nature, but, following the violent episodes in Tesco this week, she appealed for protests to remain peaceful.

“Once again we see the ugly side of Labour and the weakness of Miliband,” remarked Mike Freer, Conservative MP for Finchley and Golders Green. “His unwillingness or inability to rein in a front-bench spokeswoman who is encouraging these sort of targeted attacks speaks volumes.”