Carmel Agrexco
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Carmel Agrexco | |
|---|---|
| Type | Partnership: Israeli government (50%), the Production and Marketing Boards (25%) and the Tnuva cooperative (25%) |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Headquarters | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Key people | Yaacov Tsur, Chairman of the Board Shlomo Tirosh, Managing Director |
| Industry | Exporters of agricultural produce |
| Products | Vegetables, Flowers, Fruits, Plants |
| Revenue | ▲ €560 million (2006) |
| Employees | 500 employees in Israel and overseas (2006) |
| Website | www.agrexco.co.il |
Carmel Agrexco is Israel’s largest exporter of agricultural produce into the European Union. The Israeli state owns 50%, the Production and Marketing Boards owns 25% and the Tnuva cooperative owns 25%. In 2005, the company produced 440,000 tons of fresh agricultural produce.[1] Much of Carmel Agrexco’s fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs and other produce is grown and packed within illegal Israeli settlements[2].
Carmel Agrexco's main UK depot is in Swallowfield Way, Hayes, Middlesex
[edit] Protests
There have been various protests at Carmel Agrexco’s depot in Middlesex. Critics claim Carmel-Agrexco is responsible for the export of two-thirds of all produce from the Israeli settlements in the Palestinian Territories.
On 5 July 2007, ten activists entered Carmel Agrexco depot in Hayes Middlesex. The Israeli flag that usually flies was replaced with a Palestinian flag and the black-and-red flag of anarcho-syndicalism took the place of the Union Flag.[3] The activists handed leaflets to the workers to explain the reasons for their actions. Two locked themselves to equipment with D locks. They asked to speak to workers about Carmel-Agrexco’s support for ethnic cleansing and war crimes in Palestine, but were opposed.[4]
Carmel-Agrexco has urged police to arrest[citation needed] trespassers of this type, but generally no arrests are made and even when they are no charges are brought. However the protesters suggest that Carmel-Agrexco asked the police not to arrest or prosecute, because the protesters have declared that they will seek to present a defence that they are justified in using these types of tactics against Carmel-Agrexco, “which violates international law by supporting settlements and engaging in persecution of Palestinian workers.”[5]
On 18 August 2007 activists again entered Carmel-Agrexco's UK warehouse. The Israeli flag was taken down and protesters locked themselves to gates.[6] The UK Press Association quoted Amos Orr, the general manager: “A lot of them were drunk. They broke doors, spread papers everywhere and they were very aggressive. They were singing about Hamas.”[7]
The activists however denied being drunk and strenuously denied "singing about Hamas", which they claimed were an attempt to smear campaigners. The activists claimed their motives were to highlight the damaging effects of air freighting of food and to show support for Palestinians who suffer under Israeli Occupation, and against the importation of produce from settlements in the occupied West Bank.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ "Agrexco". Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
- ^ ""Boycott Israel protests on Valentine's Day"", Stop The Wall, 2008-02-16. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
- ^ "Fortress Carmel Agrexco breached by Peace Activists", Indymedia. Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
- ^ "Protesters occupy UK warehouse of Israeli exporter", tehran times.
- ^ "British Carmel-Agrexco Warehouse Invaded by Radicals", israel national news. Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
- ^ UK Indymedia - 40 Climate camp Activists occupy Carmel Agrexco. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
- ^ Heathrow protest plan to block runway - Times Online. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
- ^ "Activists Deny Smear by General Manager of Carmel Agrexco", indymedia. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
