Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
التضامن الإيرلندي الفلسطيني

Stop Grafton Group trading with Apartheid Israel

The IPSC is campaigning to get Grafton Group plc, the owners of the Atlantic Homecare and Woodies chains of DIY stores, to cease stocking Israeli goods until justice has been achieved for the Palestinians.

A letter to the directors of Grafton Group plc.

In late August 2007, the text below was sent to each member of the board of Grafton Group plc:

In April this year, we wrote to you and to all other Grafton Group plc directors. We informed you and your colleagues about the international campaign to isolate Israel until such time as it abides by International Law, UN Resolutions and the norms of civilised behaviour. We also pointed out that Grafton Group plc, through its Atlantic Homecare and Woodies DIY outlets, is one of the largest stockists in Ireland of goods manufactured in Israel.

To-date, we have not received a reply from any of the Grafton Group plc directors. However it is clear from the range of Israeli goods in its recently-opened Woodies DIY branch in Limerick that Grafton Group plc is intent on continuing its policy of profiteering from trade with Israel.

We are again writing to you and to all the Grafton Group plc directors to inform you of our intention to broaden and intensify the campaign to highlight your policy of trading with the rogue state of Israel. This will involve nationally-coordinated pickets of Atlantic Homecare and Woodies DIY outlets and national Apartheid-Free shopping days, when consumers will be asked to boycott Grafton Group outlets. We will be informing Palestine solidarity organisation across the UK about Grafton Group plc support for the economy of the apartheid state of Israel and asking them to include Grafton Group companies in the UK on their list of companies to be boycotted by consumers.

We believe that Grafton Group plc have a responsibility to inform all their shareholders and stock markets about this campaign, which may impact the share price performance going forward.

We will be bringing this campaign to the attention of members of the investment community, so that they and their clients can make fully-informed decisions in relation to the purchase or sale of Grafton Group plc shares. We will be encouraging all investment brokers and administrators of pension schemes to consider carefully the ethical and financial implications of investing in Grafton Group plc as long as it continues to profit from trading with Israel.

As part of our campaign we will be asking brokers and investors to remove Grafton Group plc from all ethical portfolio listings at this time and to desist from investing in Grafton Group plc until such time as it alters its unethical trading policy.

Yours sincerely
James Bowen
Chairperson, Ireland-Palestinian Solidarity Campaign

Recent articles about demonstrations outside Grafton Group stores

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