Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Couscous and Feta

Wow!!!!! I'm really going to have to try Israeli Couscous and Pastures of Eden Feta Cheese!
I have this incredibly urge to spend money on Israeli Couscous and Pastures of Eden Feta Cheese, and it's all thanks to Yasmeen Qureishi. Thank you Yasmeen, for showing me the light!
I CAN'T WAIT TO EAT ISRAELI COUSCOUS AND PASTURES OF EDEN FETA CHEESE!!!!!!
And I'm gonna spend LOTS and LOTS of money at Trader Joe's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


See, I got this letter:

"

Hi All,

Please read the letter to Trader Joe's requesting them to de-shelve Israeli products. Email me at yfatimah@yahoo.com if you would like to sign and/or have your organization endorse it latest by June 5, 10 pm PST. We will be mailing the letter on June 6. Please forward to others who might be interested in signing too.
Everyone is encouraged to do a follow up action at a store in their area on June 20, World Refugee Day which is also being observed as National Day to De-Shelve Israeli products. Check out the event page on Facebook .
Thanks!

Yasmeen


Don Bane, Chairman and CEO
Doug Rauch, President
Charles J. Pilliter, SVP Operations
Trader Joe’s Main Headquarters
800 S. Shamrock Ave.
Monrovia , CA 91016


Dear Mr. Bane, Mr. Rauch and Mr. Pilliter,
As people of conscience, we believe that business corporations need to uphold ethical standards that are consistent with the principles of human rights and support of justice and equality, locally and globally. Trader Joe’s is a company with a reputation for bringing foods from around the world to offer U.S. customers the chance to enjoy a diversity of products. In doing so, however, we think that Trader Joe’s should not be complicit in promoting occupation, ethnic cleansing, massacres, and apartheid.

We ask that you stop carrying Israeli products or products manufactured in Israel that are distributed in the U.S. (for example, "Israeli Couscous"). We are part of a growing international movement of ordinary people from around the world, from Ireland and France to Norway and Canada , that does not want to buy consumer products that help fund an economy based on illegal occupation and apartheid. We have been dismayed to see that Trader Joe’s is still selling Israeli products, despite the international outcry against the Israeli massacre in Gaza this winter. In addition, the names of products such as "Israeli Couscous" are offensive as they allow a state that was created sixty years ago, through dispossession and illegal occupation, to claim a type of couscous that was traditionally produced by Palestinians and other Arabs for generations. This is racist advertising for cultural theft
and does not befit a store that wishes to promote diversity, equality, or sustainability.


We are writing to ask you to not carry Israeli products for the following key reasons, among others:
1. Israel engages in the oppression of Palestinians and ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people, including the continued theft of Palestinian land for the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and construction of the Segregation Wall (see -- link removed -- ,
-- link removed -- , -- link removed -- for information about these violations of international law).
2. Israel has violated over 80 resolutions of the United Nations, including Resolution 194, which affirms the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, and Resolution 242, which called for an immediate end to the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East
Jerusalem in 1967.
3. Israel has .......

-------------------lots of pretentious blathering removed in the interests of brevity and readability - it's pretty stupid and offensive, trust me here-------------------------------------

We know that Trader Joe’s carries Israeli Couscous and Pastures of Eden Feta cheese, both produced in Israel . However, we also believe that other products carried under Trader Joe’s private label may be repackaged Israeli products.
As conscientious people and customers of Trader Joe’s, we urge you to de-shelve Israeli products, at least until Israel meets its obligations under international law.

Sincerely,


Yasmin Qureshi, San Jose , CA
Endorsed by: South Bay Mobilization

"

Yummy! Feta and couscous! Yeah!

You know, boycotts are a crock of doodoo and trying to pressure stores to stop selling stuff is moronic. You don't want them to sell it? THEN DON'T FRIKKIN' BUY IT!!!!!
Suppose that you decided to boycott Chinese stuff (yeah, I know you can't live without cheap Chinese products, the world economy would go down the drain without them, but just suppose......!!), you know what that would do? You would end up with millions of Chinese so pissed at YOU that we would have no problem ripping your guts out. And we would STILL find a way of making a living. Without YOU having any say in it.
You would have even less influence than you already do.

You want the world to stop buying Israeli products?
THEN MAKE THE SAME THING AND COMPETE FOR PRICE AND QUALITY!
What do you guys make that anyone wants anyway? If we aren't buying your couscous, it's because of price and quality. Have you thought of making something decent? Same consistent quality, batch after batch? At a reasonable price?
Do you even make couscous?

I mean, I would maybe buy Arab food products, if they were of decent quality, and not likely to poison me. But what are your industrial food production standards like? Mediocre? Miserable? Too horrible to contemplate? Almighty frikkin bad? Twixt Toxic and Nuclear waste????

Okay, do you people make anything that I DON'T have to eat, that anybody really wants?

OIL?

That's dead dinosaurs, Yasmeen, you guys DIDN'T make it, it isn't your technology that refines it, or your tankers, and I don't see you dillwads NOT selling it to anyone. Heck, you guys sell your dead dinosaurs to the highest bidder, no matter what their politics, religion, skin color, and personal fetishes.

Of course, I don't buy oil. Or gasoline. Or anything Arabic.
I don't have a car, and I don't shop at ghetto liquor stores.


Oh and by the way, bitch, Obama got it wrong. You folks DIDN'T give the world the compass, we did! The Chinese! We invented it. Along with paper, printing, silk, tea, porcelain, distilling, Persian rugs, and Damascus steel. And tons of other stuff.
You really want to talk about "cultural theft" now, bitch?


And if you want to talk about ethnic cleansing, why are there so many of you?!?!?!?!
The Israelis did a piss-poor job decontaminating the land.
They should've followed YOUR example when you took over the middle-east thirteen centuries ago. And that is the ONLY skill you have refined since then. That, plus rape and honor-killings. Do you want to talk now about the slaughter of your own sisters and daughters?
Wanna talk about the endemic rape of foreign women working in the Arab world? Phillipinas, Indonesians, Bangladeshis and others who are brutalized by their Arab employers??????

Yeah, let's talk, bitch.
Dear Yasmeen Qureishi, I hope your dad's liquor store goes bankrupt.

7 comments:

Rabid Bunny said...

Regal Road, 94708 and Howard Street, 94105?

P and OHS.

V. Pearcy said...

Here is the response that the ADL received from Jon Basalone, Senior VP, Marketing, Trader Joes:

“We have received a few letters like this via our customer relations email as well. Our response is that we sell products, and do not use our products as political tools or to make any statements about any political causes. We have no intention of removing any products based on pressure from any group, no matter what they support or don’t support. As always, we believe our customers are smart, and they are capable of making decisions about what they purchase. Let me know if you have any more questions or need more information.”

GRANT!PATEL! said...

Bugger the bolocky Muslims! India still has not recovered from their untender mercies.

Feta, is nought more than gooey paneer, by the way.


---Grant Cheese

Yenta Telebende said...

Thought you might like to know who is really behind this action.

Endorsed by:

ACTION FOR A PROGRESSIVE PAKISTAN
AMERICAN JEWS FOR A JUST PEACE
ANOTHER JEWISH VOICE, SANTA FE
BAY AREA INTERNATIONAL JEWISH ANTI-ZIONIST NETWORK
BIRTHRIGHT UNPLUGGED
BDS BAYAREA
BOSTON BDS
BOSTON COALITION FOR PALESTINIAN RIGHTS
BREAK THE SIEGE
BURNSVILLE AND EAGAN, MINNESOTA PEACE VIGILS
CAMPAIGN TO END ISRAELI APARTHEID – SOUTHERN
CHARLOTTE 4 PEACE
GLOBAL JUSTICE PROJECT
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION SERVICE, MO
INTERFAITH WITNESS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE
JUSTICE FIRST FOUNDATION
JUSTICE FOR PALESTINIANS
OPT OUT!
OWL’S NEST NORTH COLLABORATION
PEOPLE AGAINST HATE SPEECH
QUEERS UNDERMINING ISRAELI TERRORISM (QUIT!)
SAN JOSE PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER
SOUTH ALAMEDA PEACE AND JUSTICE COALITION

Yenta Telebende said...

continued...


SOUTH ASIAN COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
SOUTH BAY MOBILIZATION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
STUDENTS UNITED FOR PALESTINIAN EQUAL RIGHTS
THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST US TERROR WEAPONS
THE OREGON CAMPAIGN TO END ISRAELI APARTHEID
TRI-CITY PEACE AND JUSTICE
US CAMPAIGN FOR THE ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL
VETERANS AGAINST TORTURE
VETERANS FOR PEACE
WESPAC FOUNDATION
WOMEN IN BLACK, LA

Misguided individual endorsers:

TOM ABERNETHY , NY
SALMA ABY AYYASH, CAMBRIDGE, MA
KAMAL AHMED CUSTOMER, CAMBRIDGE&BURLINGTON STORES, MA
CHARLOTTE ALBRECH, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
SALEM AJLUNI, SAN JOSE, CA
YASMINE ALKHATIB, LOS ANGELES, CA
HANNAH ALLEN, AMHERST, MA
D ALWAN, OAKLAND, CA
AHMAD AMARA, HARVARD UNIV, MA
ERIC ANDERSON, LOS ANGELES, CA
JUDY ANDLER, CAMBRIDGE, MA
JAHAN ANSTAN, CA
LOUISE ANTONY, AMHERST, MA
THOMAS ASH, CAMBRIDGE, MA
DEVIN ATALLAH
TERESE ATALLAH
HIMA B, NYC, NY
MIKE BALDWIN, HAYWARD, CA
JANE BARK
SUSAN BARNEY, ARLINGTON, MA
KATHLEEN BARRY, CA

Yenta Telebende said...

continued...


BEN BARSON
JAN BAUMAN
KHALIL BENDIB, BERKELEY, CA
GRETA BERLIN, BOARD OF DIRECTOR, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT, LOS ANGELES CA
BOB BOWES
UMAYYAH CABLE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
ELLEN CANTAROW, MEDFORD, MA
GEORGE CAPACCIO, MA
CHARLOTTE CASEY, PRESIDENT, SAN JOSE PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER, SAN JOSE, CA
JOHN CASSEL, OAK PARK, IL
JOYCE CASSEL, OAK PARK, IL
MARGARET CERULLO, AMHERST, MA
PETER CHABAREK, EUGENE, OR
CORTNEY CHILDS, CORVALLIS, OR
DAWN CISEK
DANIEL CLAYTON, BROOKLYN, NY
SUSAN CURTISS, LOS ANGELES, CA
DEEMA DABIS
HUMA DAR, BERKELEY, CA
L DAVIDSON, WEST CHESTER, PA
WALT DAVIS, SAN ANSEMLO, CA
KATHLEEN DENSMORE, PhD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
DAVID DIXON
JACK DRESSER
SUSAN DUNCAN
MARTHA DWYER
JANET EISELEY CA
JEAN ENTINE
HEDY EPSTEIN, ST LOUIS, MO
KRISTI ERLICH
SHERIF FAM
SURA FARAJ, MILWAUKE, WI
FRANCIS FEELEY
DAVID FIELDER, BERKELEY, CA
JULIA FIGUEIRA-MCDONOUGH, PASADENA, CA
ROBERT FITZPATRICK, CHARLOTTE, NC
CHRIS FORD, LOS ANGELES, CA
MANZAR FOROOHAR, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
KARIN FRIEDEMANN, BOSTON, MA
MELISSA FROILAND, MILWAUKEE, WI
SHALINI GERA, HAYWARD, CA
PROF JOHN GERASSI, QUEENS COLLEGE, NY
ELIANE HAGOPIAN, BOSTON, MA
KATHERINE HANNA, BOSTON, MA
SWANEAGLE HARIJAN

Yenta Telebende said...

Continued...

KATHARINA HARLOW, MONTEREY, CA
MARTIN HARWAYNE
JANICE HAYDEN, CONCORD, MA
JEAN HAYS, FRESNO, CA
PAT HENDRICKS
CHARLIE HINTON, CA
JOSHUA HOUGH
LYDIA HOWELL, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
JAY HUBBELL, FRESNO, CA
MARY HUGHES
HAPPY HYDER, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SUMIA IBRAHIM, NY
HAYAT IMAM, DORCHESTER, MA
MARY IZETT, LAFAYETTE, CA
A JARRAR, SAN JOSE, CA
JANE JEWELL, CA
PETER KARDAS, OAKLAND, CA
CASSANDRA KATSIAFICAS, BROOKLYN, NY
JUNE KENAGY, ALBANY, OR
REEMA KHAN, CAMBRIDGE, MA
LOU KIPNIS, SANTA FE, NM
VIDULA KIRTIKAR
VICTOR KIZASKI
ALICE KLEIN, MA
DAVID KLEIN, LOS ANGELES, CA
JEFF KLEIN DORCHESTER, MA
JANET KOBREN, OAKLAND, CA
JUDITH KOLOKOFF
JOEL KOVEL
GREG KOZICZ, BROOKLYN, NY
BADAR KUDSI, CA
JANE KURINSKY
PAUL LARUDEE, BERKELEY, CA, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT
CECILE LENEMAN
HOWARD LENOW
MICHAEL LETWIN, NEW YORK CITY LABOR AGAINST THE WAR, LABOR FOR PALESTINE NY
MARIAH LEUNG, AL NAKBA AWARENESS PROJECT
JOSEPH LEVINE, AMHERST, MA
SCOTT LINDER FREMONT, CA
MICHAEL LYON, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SUNAINA MAIRA, OAKLAND, CA
MICHAEL MARIA, BOSTON, MA
ALICE MARSHALL, NY
IVAN MARTIN, ST LOUIS, MO
SAHAR MASUD
TANIA MAXWELL
HANNAH MEDROW, MILWAUKEE, WI
RASHA MHMOUD, BROOKLYN, NY
SERGIO MONTEIRO, LOS ANGELES, CA
DORINDA MORENO, FM GLOBAL, CA
MICHEL MOUSHABECK, NORTHAMPTON, MA
DR NANCY MURRAY, CAMBRIDGE, MA
HIRA NABI, AMHERST, MA
FARRUKH NAJMI
SHAHEEN NAZERALI, NY
DAVID NELSON
MARCY NEWMAN, CA
DOROTHY NAOR, ISRAEL
ANA NOGUEIRA, BROOKLYN, NY
KAMAL OBEID, HAYWARD, CA
DAVID OBERWEISER
IVAN OLSEN, CA
MARCELLO PETRIGH
ANGELA PRICE
REV JOHN PROCHASKA
YASMIN QURESHI, SAN JOSE, CA
MAZIN QUMSIYEH, PHD
BILL RAMSEY, ST LOUIS, MO
ANNE REMLEY, ANN ARBOR, MI
FREDERICK REMLEY, ANN ARBOR, MI
GREGORY RIENZO, CASTRO VALLEY, CA
ROSALIE RIENZO, CASTRO VALLEY, CA
JOHN ROBERTS, CAMBRIDGE, MA
KATHY ROBERTS, CAMBRIDGE, MA
PAULA ROCHELLE
JULIE RUFO, ALAMEDA, CA, TRADER JOE’S CUSTOMER
AMIN SABA, SAN JOSE, CA, TRADER JOE’S CUSTOMER
DINA SABA, SAN JOSE, CA, TRADER JOE’S CUSTOMER
FADI SABA, PRESIDENT, SOUTH BAY MOBILIZATION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE, SAN JOSE, CA
NELLIE SABA, SAN JOSE, CA
RAKSHANDA SALEEM, CAMBRIDGE, MA
CAROLYN SCARR, BERKELEY, CA
SKIP SCHIEL, FRIENDS MEETING AT CAMBRIDGE (QUAKER), CAMBRIDGE, MA
HANNAH SCHWARZSCHILD
JON SEIGE, BOSTON, MA
BILL SELL
SAHAR SHAFQAT, MARYLAND
SAID SHEHADEH, PsyD QUEENS, NY
ANNA SHENK
LENORE SHERIDAN
SNEHAL SHINGAVI, VA
MOAZZAM SHIEKH, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
CATHERINE SHINN, SAINT LOUIS, MO
SAUL SLAPIKOFF, CAMBRIDGE, MA
EVE SPANGLER
JOHN SPRITZLER
RAMKUMAR SRIDHARAN, SAN JOSE, CA
A STEK, LOS ANGELES, CA
CORNELIA SULLIVAN, BOSTON, MA
IJAZ SYED, SUNNYVAL,E CA
ALLYSON TAYLOR
JOHN THIELKING, SAN JOSE, CA
KIN TILSEN WI
SAADIA TOOR, NYC, NY
JAMES VANN, OAKLAND, CA
DONALD VEACH
NICOLE VOLZ, BROOKLYN, NY
NABIL WAHBEH
DARLENE WALLACH, SAN JOSE, CA
DONNA WALLACH, SAN JOSE, CA
KATHLEEN WANG, DIAMOND BAR, CA
LARRY WARTEL, LOS ANGELES, CA
AHMAD YAMAK, CA
NADIA YASSA, Esq, MA
JAMAL ZEID, LINCOLN, CA
MAGGIE ZHOU, ARLINGTON, MA