Beyond dates, BDS has expanded its boycott to multinational chains, who often use the holy month of Ramadan to lure more consumers with deals and sales.

By Abdullahi Yusuf

As Ramadan begins, the Moroccan branch of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is urging consumers to keep their Iftar tables free of ‘genocide-linked products’, namely Israeli Medjool dates.

Last week, the Moroccan chapter of the BDS movement issued a call for vigilance, warning that Israeli dates might be repackaged under different labels to circumvent boycotts.

“We warn that some exporters of Zionist dates package them under Palestinian-Jordanian brands or repackage them in Morocco under local labels […] Avoid any suspicious or unknown brands”, the group said in a statement.

The group noted that it had not encountered explicitly Israeli-branded dates in Moroccan markets this year, crediting past awareness and boycott efforts for the shift.

Israel is among the world’s largest producers of dates, particularly the Medjool variety, a Ramadan staple.

However, about 40 per cent of Israeli dates come from farms in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign.

Palestinian labourers, including children, often work under gruelling conditions to harvest them, enduring extreme heat and hazardous climbs up palm trees.

Beyond labour exploitation, activists argue that Israeli date farms contribute to the broader dispossession of Palestinians.

Settlement plantations rely on water diverted from Palestinian communities, exacerbating shortages for drinking and irrigation.

Yet Israeli date producers have been working to bypass boycotts. Israeli media Haaretz reported last year that some companies had altered product labels to obscure the true origin of their dates.

In response, BDS is urging Moroccan shoppers to support local brands and small businesses that have built a reputation for quality and ethical sourcing.

The group has framed the dates boycott as both a religious and political statement, given the significance of the fruit in Ramadan traditions.

Beyond dates, the movement has expanded its focus to multinational chains, which often use Ramadan month to lure more consumers with deals and sales that smaller–and ethical–businesses cannot afford.

“During Ramadan, let’s escalate the boycott campaigns to prevent the Israeli enemy and its supporters from profiting from the iftar table”, said the group in a statement detailing the targeted companies.

Carrefour, the French retail giant, has been blacklisted by BDS groups for its alleged partnerships with Israeli firms operating in settlements. Following sustained boycotts, Carrefour shut down its branches in Jordan and Oman.

In Morocco, its franchisee, LabelVie, runs over 70 stores, and activists have been pressuring it to sever ties with its parent company. Thirteen protesters recently faced legal action for holding an unauthorised demonstration outside a Carrefour outlet near Rabat.

Fast-food chain McDonald’s, a long-time focus of boycott campaigns, came under renewed scrutiny after its Israeli franchise provided free meals to soldiers.

BDS Morocco has called for sustained consumer pressure against the chain and other companies accused of ‘enabling’ the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

“Let’s boycott all complicit companies that remained silent when their branches or franchise owners in the occupying state supported genocide,” urged the group.