Moroccan Activists Call for Boycott of Israeli Dates During Ramadan

"Let’s make sure our tables are free of occupation dates." This is the slogan launched by BDS Morocco as part of its Ramadan campaign against Israeli dates. The movement called on Moroccans to "boycott Israeli products, be vigilant and avoid any unreliable commercial brand." It suspects some importers of Israeli dates of using devious methods to introduce them into the Moroccan market, either through Palestinian/Jordanian companies or through Moroccan companies that handle packaging and conditioning. It points the finger at "L’île de Fruits", promoted by the store "Oncle Achour", known for its link with the importing company "Ito Food". This company would not be on the commercial register, nor on the lists of the National Office of Food Safety (ONSSA).

"Morocco is one of the date-producing countries, but it does not achieve self-sufficiency, which leads it to import dates from various countries, including Arab ones. However, these dates are subject to health control by the competent authorities," assured Bouazza El Kharrati, president of the Moroccan Federation of Consumer Rights, to Al3omk. He stated that "some dates are imported via Israel, which has sparked a strong controversy due to the war waged by the occupation forces against the Palestinian people." According to him, there is another country that uses all the underhand means to harm the Kingdom of Morocco, by selling its dates on the Moroccan market illegally. He cites Algeria.

"There are merchants devoid of any patriotic fiber who promote Algerian dates on the markets, and this is condemnable from the point of view of consumer rights defenders. Algeria has been trying for many years to harm Morocco, and its goods are sold in broad daylight. This is a national betrayal," denounced El Kharrati. According to him, "Algeria has broken off diplomatic relations with Morocco, closed its land, air and sea borders, and suspended the export of natural gas, in order to harm the national economy." He will add: "No one has been outraged by the presence of Algerian dates on the markets, which is a shame for Moroccan date merchants."

The consumer rights activist points out that "Israel is a friend of Morocco due to the importance of the Moroccan Jewish community residing in the kingdom. So far, Israel has not caused any harm to Morocco, unlike Algeria, which is trying by all illegal means to tarnish the image of the country." And to continue: "Israel has taken Moroccan dates and developed them in recent years, thus becoming a producer. As for the packaging of these products, it is prohibited internationally, as World Trade Organization laws prohibit the counterfeiting of dates. It is therefore necessary to open investigations on this subject."