Paris Restaurant Caves to Pressure, Removes Israeli Wines Amid BDS Campaign

The dispute was initiated by an initial letter dated August 8, 2025, addressed by the collective to the restaurant management. In this letter, the organization said it was "shocked by the sale of Israeli wines," describing this choice as "incomprehensible." The group based its argument on several points, considering the wines "mediocre," their presence inappropriate in a place representing the "Arab world," and suggesting that this choice was motivated by "political reasons."

Having received no response, the organization then published this letter on its website and social networks. The Campagne BDS France also put forward legal arguments, claiming that some wines came from the Golan, presented as a "Syrian territory illegally annexed by Israel." According to the collective, these products would therefore be "illegal" and their sale would expose the restaurant to accusations of "receiving stolen goods and complicity in the crime of colonization."

Following this publication and a response from the restaurant deemed "evasive" by the organization, it was found that the wines in question had been removed from the menu. In a second letter dated August 22, BDS France indicated that it "takes note of this decision." The collective specified that its "only motivation is the respect of human rights and the rights of the Palestinian people," adding that it would remain "vigilant as to the permanence of this decision in the months to come."