The Campaign Against Israeli Products

This image was originally posted to Flickr by Phillip Pessar at https://flickr.com/photos/25955895@N03/31921521713

There is an active, organized campaign pressuring Trader Joe’s to pull Israeli products from its shelves. The group behind it is CODEPINK, a far-left activist organization that has been waging this effort for over a year and a half. They renewed their push this month, and the kosher community needs to know about it and respond.

The good news: Trader Joe’s has not budged. The company continues to carry Israeli products across its stores nationwide. The better news: we can make sure it stays that way.

What CODEPINK Is Doing

CODEPINK’s campaign calls on Trader Joe’s to stop stocking Israeli-made products entirely. Their tactics have included petitions, in-store demonstrations, sing-alongs in the aisles, and flooding corporate headquarters with letters. In at least one documented incident, activists entered a Trader Joe’s location and physically pulled Israeli products from the shelves on camera.

The products specifically targeted by the campaign are ones many kosher shoppers know well: Bamba puffed peanut and corn snacks (original and hazelnut crème varieties), Dorot Gardens crushed garlic cubes, Dorot Gardens crushed ginger cubes, and Israeli feta cheese made from sheep’s milk. These are not fringe items. They are stocked in Trader Joe’s locations coast to coast, and several of them carry reliable kosher certification.

What You Can Do Right Now

The counter-campaign is called a “buycott,” and it is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of boycotting, you go to Trader Joe’s and intentionally purchase Israeli products. Organizations including StandWithUs, EndJewHatred, and the Zionist Organization of America have all called on supporters to participate. Former New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind posted publicly that he headed straight to his local Trader Joe’s when he heard about the boycott push.

Here is the full list of Israeli products to look for in stores (as compiled by @koshertraderjoes):

Snacks & Dairy

  • Trader Joe’s Bamba Puffed Peanut & Corn Snacks (Original)
  • Trader Joe’s Bamba with Hazelnut Crème Filling
  • Trader Joe’s Israeli Feta Cheese (sheep’s milk, cholov yisroel, in brine)

Pantry

  • Dorot Gardens Crushed Garlic Cubes
  • Dorot Gardens Crushed Ginger Cubes
  • Aviv Passover Matzos (baked and packed in Bnei Brak, Israel)

Wine (available in select regions)

  • Yarden Mount Hermon Cabernet
  • Yarden Mount Hermon White
  • Givon Chardonnay
  • Givon Cabernet
  • Tishbi Cabernet Syrah

Buying even one of these items sends a message. And if you have a minute while you are in the store, consider thanking the store manager for continuing to carry Israeli products. Trader Joe’s has a genuine customer-first culture, and positive feedback from loyal shoppers matters.

You can also contact Trader Joe’s customer relations directly by phone at 1-626-599-3817 or through the contact form at traderjoes.com to let them know you appreciate their decision to keep Israeli products on the shelves.

A Note on the Kosher Products

The Israeli product lineup at Trader Joe’s is more extensive than most shoppers realize. The Israeli feta is cholov yisroel, certified by B.D.Z. Mehadrin. The Dorot garlic and ginger cubes are kosher-certified pantry staples that eliminate the need for fresh herb prep. Aviv Passover Matzos are baked and packed in Bnei Brak. And the wine selection is genuinely impressive for a mainstream grocer: Yarden, Givon, and Tishbi are all well-known Israeli labels carrying kosher certification, available in select regions.

These are products worth buying on their own merits. Right now, buying them carries extra weight.

We covered the full kosher certification details for Trader Joe’s Israeli products previously. If you want a complete breakdown of what is certified and by which agency, that guide has everything you need.

Why This Matters

Trader Joe’s has resisted this kind of pressure before. When similar boycott efforts were mounted in 2005 and 2006, the company held firm and kept its Israeli product lines. That track record matters, and the organized Jewish and pro-Israel response is a significant reason the company has felt confident standing its ground.

The economic logic of a buycott is straightforward. If CODEPINK can organize a campaign that threatens Trader Joe’s bottom line, the Jewish community and its allies can do the same in reverse. Every Israeli product purchased at Trader Joe’s is a data point that the company sees, and it signals that these products have a loyal customer base that is not going anywhere.