What is the real price of “Peace Oil”
Posted on Sep 11th by William in Faith & practice
At home we love Zaytoun olive oil. It has a wonderful taste, is produced by Palestinian farmers and exported with the help of sympathetic Israeli NGOs.
It gets desperately needed currency to Palestine. But there’s a flashy higher-priced alternative now on the market called Peace Oil, protesting its ethical credentials and trying to piggyback on the ethical sales route pioneered by Zaytoun using voluntary and religious groups. I even found Peace Oil for sale in Friends’ House at twice the price of the lovely Zaytoun. But not for long.
As one Friend put it:
I have no doubt, that paying Palestinian farmers in the occupied territories a fair price for their produce is closer to Quaker witness than buying an overpriced product from Israel with only some input by Palestinian workers (but no information on wages and conditions) and using land and machinery owned by others.
Well spoken Friend.
My take on the whole Israel-Palestine thang is
1. Israel has a perfect right to exist in international law and as a matter of fact. Get over it.
2. But to ignore the pain and injustice this has caused and continues to cause would be inhuman.
3. An inability to live with one’s neighbours in a state of compassion and equality is a pretty damning indictment on any religion or culture, even two as ancient, distinguished and succesful as Judaism and Islam.
Meanwhile if you want to stock or buy Zaytoun in the UK the director here is Heather Gardner, tel zero eight four five 3454887.
