The conference was held at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton ahead of the Woolworths annual general meeting which will be held in Cape Town on 26 November.
With a great deal of support for the boycott of Woolworths, who source products such as couscous, matzos, litchis and mangoes from Israel, a number of shareholders have expressed their backing for the divestment of Israel since July.
Shaeera Kalla, a representative of long-time shareholder Marthie Momberg said, “As a person who values the human dignity of all I, together with South African from all walks of life, support the non-violent boycott [of] Woolworths. With our history of apartheid, South Africans have a special role to play in saying no to Israel’s decade-long institutionalised violations of Palestinians.”
The conference also hosted Allan Horwitz, a Jewish representative of a small group of shareholders who support the boycott said, “The Jews can only flourish, like any other people, in open societies. Societies that respect human rights at an individual and national level. And we find that Israel has systematically violated the rights, not only of Palestinians, but also other minorities within the borders of Israel.”
Horwitz voiced, on behalf of himself and a number of other shareholders, that Israel does not speak on behalf of all Jewish people and said, “We find that Woolworths claims to be a very ethical company, and it’s in the forefront of corporate practice. And that is why Woolworths should be the front runner in this action.”
Muhammed Desai, a representative from BDS who recently acquired shares in Woolworths, said that between 25 and 50 BDS members will attend the Woolworths AGM in Cape Town on 26 November to voice their support for the divestment of Israel. He added they decided to launch the campaign because Woolworths claimed to have a great ethical stance, and hopes the company will terminate their trade relations with Israel.
