Shop-A-Fada!

Here at Israellycool, we are all for fighting the insidious BDS campaign against Israel, with a multi-pronged approach of mocking the BDS-holes, boycotting the boycotters, and encouraging you to buycott those businesses under attack.

A group of Israelis have stepped it up a notch, setting up a Shop-A-Fada campaign.

In the face of increasing calls to boycott Israeli-made products and divest from interests in the Jewish State, a group of Israeli businesspeople have joined forces to launch an innovative campaign entitled Shop-A-Fada.  The campaign is intended to “Fight back against those who think that they’ll be able to destroy Israel by waging economic warfare,” says Tal Brody, who serves as the Honorary Chairman for the initiative.  The program is being officially launched today at www.shop-a-fada.com along with a You Tube video available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjD10exUvBE .  Along with his role as Chair of Shop-A-Fada, Brody, who is well-known as one of the nation’s most accomplished sports stars, speaks around the world on behalf of Israel and was officially appointed as the nation’s Goodwill Ambassador.

The campaign name was chosen to act as a direct response to the Palestinian intifada with the organizers saying that the same characteristics of passion and unity which defined the intifada will be behind this campaign.  “We firmly believe that this is an initiative which all friends of Israel, Jew and non-Jew alike need to embrace,” Brody says.  “The time has come to show our enemies that as resolved as they are to practice hate against us, we’re equally committed to come out in unwavering solidarity for Israel,” Brody says while pointing out the obvious difference being that this campaign will be wholly non-political.

Known as Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, the BDS movement has become increasingly virulent in its attacks against Israel.  In recent weeks, a major line of British supermarkets announced that it halt trade with Israel representing hundreds of thousands of financial damage to Israeli exporters.  “These actions aren’t statements of solidarity with the Arab world but they are literally economic attacks on hard-working Israelis and Palestinians and deserve a united global response,” Brody says.

Arik Barel, CEO of JudaicaWebStore.com says that the idea for the campaign came while recognizing that people all too often are looking for ways to actively support Israel but feel there’s little they can do from so far away.  “The economic toll that the BDS has taken on Israel is by no means negligible and we wanted to respond on behalf of the business community before the damage is irreversible,” Barel says.  “The facts are that we need to come out actively and fight back in the face of these acts which are nothing short of terrorism.  People all over the world are being afforded a tool to support Israel and if we all make even just a modest investment and buy Blue and White today we can collectively make a huge difference.”  Barel also says that in recent years many stores around the world have removed Israeli products from their shelves so shopping online is the natural response.

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As part of the campaign, 5 percent of all sales before June 15th would be donated to American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) to support their lifesaving work on behalf of the people of Israel.  AFMDA Chief Executive Officer Arnold Gerson saluted the initiative saying, “This campaign now allows people to come out actively in support of Israel both helping strengthen the national economy, but also directly assisting the hundreds of thousands of people who benefit from the care of Magen David Adom each year.”

Visitors to www.shop-a-fada.com will be able to choose from a “product of the day” as well as gain access to an online marketplace offering a wide variety of potential gifts and Israeli and Jewish-related items.

“There can be no denying that just like a war on the battlefield, this is a war that is being fought in the global marketplace,” Brody says.  “And to win this war we will need international support so now is the time to help ensure that Israel remains strong and secure.”

I have to admit that I came up with a very similar idea last year (Brian of London can confirm this), but I could not find the time to get such an initiative off the ground.

In the meantime, check out Shop-A-Fada.

4 thoughts on “Shop-A-Fada!”

  1. Jim from Iowa

    Yea, I know the feeling AussieDave. I had this idea for a perpetual motion machine and then this Chinese guy stole it right out from under me.

  2. I thought that BDS stood for bondage, discipline and sadism, which might account for the kinkiness of the demonstrators.

  3. See, this is annoying. I want to buy more Israeli products but a lot of these “Buycott” websites only sell stuff that is (a) expensive and (b) too fancy. I don’t want intricately polished candlesticks even if they are from Israel and I’m not going to throw down $40 for them. Same with food.

    Fortunately my local supermarket carries Israeli products so I usually just go there but come on guys, make it a little more accessible to us common people.

  4. This is a fairly discouraging article. Are the BDS bigots really having a tangible effect on our economy? My impression was that Israel’s economy was actually growing, despite the boycott. I think the Shop-A-Fada is being needlessly alarmist, in that sense.

    I really hope I’m right.

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