South African Court Bars Pro-Palestinians From Woolworths

The retailer Woolworths has won protection from a South African court against pro-Palestinians who had stormed into its stores demanding a halt to the sale of Israeli products, Ynet reported on Tuesday.

The high-end retail store took legal action after a series of protests by activists from Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) against Israel who disrupted operations, brandishing placards and chanting slogans.

Last month, a pig’s head was dumped in a kosher section of a Woolworths branch in Cape Town.

Woolworths said the ruling offered “relief” and protected its rights to “trade free of threats and intimidation.”

Woolworths says it currently imports figs, pomegranates and pretzels from Israel, and rejects the boycott as misdirected.

The protest group said in a statement it would “tone down its in-store protest actions” but would intensify its campaign in other ways. The group is also lobbying the government to stop trade with Israel.

Both parties are also required by the court to hold a meeting before December 10 to iron out their differences.

This article appeared in print on page 6 of the November 26th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.