Palestinian advocates pressure sandwich chain Israel deal is being reneged on
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Roshan Amiri
- . January 14, 2023
- . Update: January 16, 2023 2:35 pm
An initiative to convince sandwich brand Pret A Manger to reconsider its plans to open dozens of stores in Israel has been launched by Friends of Al-Aqsa, a pro-Palestinian group in the UK, organisers announced on Friday.
With Israeli restaurant chain Yarzin Sella and fashion retailer Fox-Wizel, the London-based company has signed a non-binding 10-year agreement to open and run roughly 40 franchises in Israel over the next ten years.
In order to stop the corporation from moving forward with its intentions, FOA advised fans to email Pret’s CEO as soon as possible. Pret is reportedly suing to formally finalise the agreement by March.
According to the nongovernmental organisation, which promotes equality and justice in Palestine and opposes Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid regime, “FOA has launched a #PretAParatheid campaign in response to Pret A Manger’s campaign to open more than 40 branches in apartheid Israel over the next 10 years.”
“This has resulted in an influx of protest messages on Pret’s social media sites, and hundreds have emailed Pret CEO Pano Christou in the previous 48 hours,” it continued.
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Pret’s declaration is an unmistakable indication that it supports Israel’s apartheid government and continuous transgressions of international law.
Pret claims to serve fresh cuisine and coffee while ‘trying to do the right thing’ on its website. However, the letter from the #PretAParatheid campaign to Pano Christou states that “opening branches in an apartheid state is doing the wrong thing.”
According to the group, Pret shouldn’t conduct business with an “apartheid state” that has been violating Palestinians’ human rights for 75 years.
Pret would be involved in Israeli human rights violations if it opened outlets there, according to FOA’s Shamiul Joarder, head of public affairs.
Pret asserts that morality is one of its ‘fundamental pillars,’ but it is unethical to support a nation that routinely perverts international law and targets and murders children.
Pret has a sticker asking for input on every sandwich… Where is their response after receiving input from hundreds of individuals asking them to oppose apartheid? FOA claimed to have contacted Pret for comment but has not yet heard back.
