The Co-op could soon stop selling Israeli products after board members voted in favour of a boycott.
The non-binding motion was passed at the convenience giant’s AGM on May 17.
Nearly three quarters (73%) of members supported the motion, which urged the board to demonstrate “moral courage and leadership” by removing Israeli goods from the shelves.
Although the motion is advisory, the board confirmed it is actively reviewing its sourcing policies, to “ensure that they reflect both our values and principles and the views of our members, which they have made clear today”.
It is understood that, if implemented, the boycott could take effect as early as this summer.
The motion was first submitted last month by Co-op members, who pointed to the retailer’s stance in 2022, when it became the first UK supermarket to boycott Russian products following the invasion of Ukraine.
Members have urged the business to adopt a consistent approach in light of the ongoing war in Gaza, which the motion said had “completely destroyed” the region.
Campaign group Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which supported the motion, hailed the vote’s result as a “landmark moment” and called on the retailer to take action.
A spokesperson for PSC, Lewis Backon, said: “The Co-op AGM vote shows ordinary people in this country are committed to the cause of justice and freedom for Palestine in their everyday lives and refuse to support Israel’s apartheid economy.
“The Co-op must now listen to its members and implement the motion by taking all Israeli goods off the shelves.”
However, the motion has sparked sharp criticism from UK Lawyers for Israel, who wrote to the Co-op opposing the motion and claiming it included “false and defamatory statements”. It accused it of promoting “racial hatred of Israelis and Jews”.
The Co-op already maintains a sourcing policy which excludes goods from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories – a position it has held since 2007.
