Co-op members vote to ban Israeli goods from shelves

The Co-op members have voted in favour of a motion for the convenience retailer to remove Israeli products from shelves.

The non-binding motion was passed at the company’s AGM on 17 May, with support from nearly three-quarters (73%) of members.

They urged the board to show “moral courage and leadership” by ceasing trade with Israeli in light of the conflict in Gaza, where many are now at risk of dying from hunger due to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s blockade.

The Co-op said it was actively reviewing its sourcing policy to “ensure that they reflect both our values and principles and the views of our members, which they have made clear today”.

While the motion is advisory, if followed through, Israeli goods could vanish from its shelves as early as this summer.

The motion was originally submitted last month by the supermarket’s members, who also argued the Co-op had been the first UK grocer to boycott Russian products following the Ukraine invasion in 2022.

The motion read: “We ask the board to demonstrate fairness and consistency in its ethical decision making, and cease all trading with Israel”, whose attacks on Gaza had “completely destroyed the region”.

“The Co-op was the first supermarket to boycott Russian products in March 2022, a week after the invasion of Ukraine.

“We urge the board to show moral courage and leadership, apply the same ethical principles and values it did to Russia, and take all Israeli products off the shelves.”

The company’s sourcing policy has banned goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories since 2007.

But Israel is still a known major supplier of fresh produce to the UK, including sweet potatoes, citrus and tomatoes.

A Co-op spokesperson said: “At our AGM on May 17, 2025, a members’ motion on trading with Israel has passed.

“Whilst the motion is advisory, we are currently reviewing our sourcing policies, which we do from time to time.

“This is to ensure they reflect both our values and principles and the views of our members, which they have made clear today.

“We expect our review on the sourcing policy to complete towards the end of the summer.”

However, the business also noted that the intricacies of global food supply chains meant that “it is very often impossible, impractical or unsafe to stop sourcing products entirely from specific countries”.