Waitrose criticised for ‘Taste of Israel’ magazine

Supermarket chain Waitrose has been criticised for publishing a booklet called ‘Taste of Israel’.

The 32-page insert in Waitrose Kitchen Magazine’s February edition offered tips on ‘recipes, travel, deals and trips’, whilst giving an insight into the best Israeli chefs and restaurants.

It has been criticised by pro-Palestine activists as ‘a prime example of Israeli government propaganda’.

A Palestine Solidarity Campaign statement accuses Waitrose of “featuring a magazine that ignored ‘Israeli apartheid.’ It said it is “highlighting its [Israel’s] efforts to distract the public abroad from its brutal military occupation of Palestinian land by replacing the image of an apartheid regime with that of a tourist-friendly, culture-loving country.”

The Brighton Palestine Solidarity Campaign produced its own version called ‘Fraudulent Taste of Israel’ to highlight its opposition.

William Sitwell, editor of Waitrose Kitchen Magazine, told The Independent: “The magazine is not political – we take adverts from a wide range of different businesses and organisations.”

Some took to Twitter to criticise the supermarket, using the hashtag #TasteOfIsrael.

There were also few comments in support.

@HuffPostUK could only find 1 tweet supporting @waitrose? I loved the #TasteofIsrael booklet. #Israel is about so much more than conflict

— Caron Kemp (@caronkemp) March 17, 2015

Others took direct action at Waitrose stores.