By Andrew L. Jaffee

I found out about a so-called “boycott” of Israeli products at Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago. Of course, I went straight to the store to buy as many Israeli products as I could get my hands on. Guess what? Most of the Israeli food-stuffs had already sold out. Not really surprising when a “recent poll of American voters shows an astonishing 8-to-1 sympathy for Israel over the Palestinians,” and Bill Clinton stating recently, “I don’t know what we would have done without the Israeli field hospital in Haiti.”

When I asked the manager where I could specifically find Israeli products, he had an associate help me search what was left. As the manager and I talked, he commented, “Funny how these things work out,” regarding this and previous “boycotts.” In fact, a week later, Trader Joe’s had set up an extremely prominent display for Israeli couscous (see below the picture for more info):

Yeah. That “boycott” was a real success! This Israeli couscous display was put up soon after the “boycott.”

From: Jewish Federation of New Mexico and Anti-Defamation League, New Mexico

Thanks to the efforts of a mobilized community, we are delighted to report that the efforts of an anti-Israel group calling itself the New Mexico Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Committee failed dismally in their efforts last Sunday to encourage shoppers at Trader Joe’s Uptown Albuquerque location to boycott the store’s supply of Israeli consumer products.

Ironically, the misguided boycott attempt only helped encourage community members to buy-out Trader Joe’s stock of Israeli products. A similar, national boycott of Israeli products sold at Trader Joe’s backfired last summer when Israel supporters flooded the stores specifically to buy Israeli products. …